After a first half filled with groans and jeers at Xfinity Center, the Maryland men's basketball team gave the home crowd plenty to cheer about down the stretch, pulling away for a 73-55 victory against Rhode Island Nov. 9.
The Terps struggled with turnovers out of the gate and faced an early 24-12 deficit, but crept back into the contest, pulling ahead late in the first half and taking a 35-32 advantage into the locker room. They didn't let the Rams scare them in the second half, stretching their lead to 21 in the final minutes.
Jalen Smith led all scorers for the second straight game, using a late burst to finish with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Aaron Wiggins recorded his first career double-double with 13 points and 13 boards. Anthony Cowan Jr. scored all 14 of his points after halftime, while Eric Ayala chipped in 13. In a fast-paced game, Maryland shot 44.6 percent from the floor and held Rhode Island to 29.9 percent.
