Maryland Terrapins: Melo Trimble’s Last-Second Layup Lifts Terps to 7-0

Maryland Terrapins star Melo Trimble lifts Terps to a 69-68 victory over Kansas State to win the Barclays Center Classic as the Terps remain unbeaten.

Following the Maryland Terrapins overtime thriller against the Richmond Spiders Friday night, the Terps, with the support of some late-game magic by Melo Trimble, came out victorious against Kansas State to win the Barclays Center Classic championship.

Despite Melo Trimble’s mediocre performance throughout much of the game last night including five turnovers, Trimble once again unleashed his magic in the final minutes to propel the Terps to a one-point win.

Maryland’s 69-68 victory was the Wildcats first loss of the season as the Terrapins remain unbeaten. The Maryland Terrapins trailed Kansas State by one point as Trimble hauled in his second rebound of the game with just 14 seconds remaining in the Barclays Center Classic title game.

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The fearless Trimble dribbled the ball up the court as Turgeon elected not to call a timeout leaving the Maryland Terrapins fate in the hands of their junior guard. Senior Damonte Dodd set a pick that allowed Trimble to weave his way to the basket and finish with an awe-inspiring layup as Kansas State’s leading scorer D.J. Johnson picked up his fifth personal foul, disqualifying him from the game.

The layup put the Maryland Terrapins ahead by one point with eight seconds left in regulation as Trimble stepped to the charity strike with a chance to complete a three-point play and extended the Terps lead to two points. Following a missed free throw by Trimble, Kansas State regained possession and scrambled down the court in an attempt to hit a game-winning shot.

Sophomore guard Barry Brown failed to convert on a last-second shot that would have won the game for Wildcats. The Terps squeezed out the 69-68 win and secured a Barclays Center Classic title. Saturday night’s championship victory marked the Terps’ fourth straight holiday tournament championship. As anticipated, Trimble was the recipient of the Barclays Classic Most Outstanding Player following a stellar performance during the holiday tournament. Trimble scored 31 points to help the Terps win in overtime to advance to the championship game and 18 points in Saturday night’s title win over Kansas State.

In his third game back from a foot sprain that sidelined him for the first four games of the season, junior Michal Cekovsky continued his resurgence. Cekovsky recorded a career-high 16 points and matched a career-best eight rebounds. The Terps center played 18 minutes and delivered a much-needed boost in the front court for the Terps. With Dodd cautiously working his way back from a concussion and Ivan Bender earning another start, Cekovsky adds another compelling player in the Terps front court rotation.

Stretch forward Justin Jackson continues to ensure his spot in the Terps’ starting lineup by scoring 11 points and shooting 2-of-3 from behind the arc. Junior Jared Nickens played just three minutes in Saturday night’s win. Nickens played zero minutes in the second half Saturday night as he continues his cringeworthy season

A week ago, Maryland ranked 23rd in the USA Today Coaches Poll, but remained unranked in the AP Top 25, earning 55 receiving votes. After a successful weekend in Brooklyn, New York the unbeaten Terps are more than likely to be ranked in the top 25 when the new polls are released Monday.

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The Terps now prepare for the ACC/Big Ten Challenge as they host Pittsburgh (5-1) Tuesday night. Maryland’s non-conference schedule doesn’t get any easier as Oklahoma State (5-1) visits the XFINITY Center on Saturday, December 3rd.