Maryland Basketball: Rutgers No Match for No. 3 Terps

The Maryland Terrapins had four players finish with double figures as they coasted to an 88-63 win over Rutgers on Wednesday night.

Maryland basketball is flexing their muscle on Big Ten Conference opponents even if their star player is not on the court.

Maryland (14-1, 3-0 Big Ten) was the better team from the opening tip as the Terps dismantled the Scarlet Knights, 88-63 in front of the eighth sellout of the season at the XFINITY Center. Jake Layman, Rasheed Sulaimon and Robert Carter each reached double digits, and Diamond Stone had another double-double, scoring 15 and adding 10 rebounds in the decisive win.

Melo Trimble looked to be struggling with an injury and only took one shot in the first half. It was revealed in the second half that he was suffering from tightness in his hamstring and he did not return. He scored four points, all at the free-throw line. Everyone is hopeful this is a minor injury and Trimble was rested because of the large lead.

Sulaimon opened up the game hot, scoring seven of the team’s first 13 points. Maryland never trailed, dominating the first half as their size advantage was too much for Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights got in foul trouble early which forced several starters to sit on the bench. Maryland out-rebounded Rutgers, 31-12, in the first 20 minutes, and held a 46-18 lead at halftime. The defense was phenomenal in the opening frame as the Terps limited Rutgers to 6-of-25 (24 percent) shooting from the field.

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Maryland opened up a 31-point lead, early in the second half. They took the commanding 65-34 advantage on back-to-back threes by Layman, who was red hot in the second half. He scored 11 points after the half and finished with 18 on the night.

It was this kind of night for the Terps. Jaylen Brantley threw up a wild shot before the buzzer that found its way into the basket and was fouled on the play. It gave the Terps a 77-35 lead, their largest of the night. Several of the Maryland reserves would close out the night, including fan favorite Varun Ram, who hit a late three that sent the Terps faithful in a ruckus.

The Scarlet Knights (6-10, 0-3) have been ravished with injuries as they only have seven players on scholarship on the current roster. The missing players accounted for nearly 24 points, and Rutgers was outmatched from the opening tip. Bishop Daniels had a double-double, posting 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Next: Terps Fast Start Fuels Win Over Northwestern

The dominating win was necessary with two tough road games looming at Wisconsin and at Michigan. The starters were all limited to less than 30 minutes of action which means they will be fresh when they head to Madison on Saturday.

The question going forward will be the status of Trimble. Maryland officials told the media that he was dealing with hamstring tightness, but was seen holding his knee. The Terps can get by Rutgers without their preseason All-American, but the Badgers will be tough to beat if the point guard is limited.