Three takeaways from Maryland men’s basketball’s win over La Salle

(Photo Courtesy of Maryland Athletics.)

Coming off of dorsum-to-back losses against Clemson and then-No. 19 Rutgers, Maryland (5-2, 0-1 B1G) returned to its winning ways with an 84-71 win over La Salle. The Terps were well balanced offensively, as five different players finished in double figures including three of five starters. Next, Maryland will travel to West Lafayette, Indiana, as it'south ready to face up off with Purdue on Christmas Day.

Here are my takeaways from Tuesday night'due south victory:

Eric Ayala shows off his assertiveness:

Through the first six games of the season, junior baby-sit Eric Ayala was the squad's leading scorer, averaging 13.7 points per game and serving as the team's main ball handler. Tuesday nighttime confronting La Salle, Ayala displayed some of the assertiveness and toughness that head autobus Mark Turgeon has been searching for with a career-loftier 23-indicate performance. 13 of those 23 points came at the free-throw line, an area where Ayala has excelled this flavor.

Before Tuesday'southward contest, Turgeon spoke about how he was looking for the Terps to play with more toughness peculiarly on the defensive end of the flooring. Collectively as a unit, the Terps showed that mentality on defense, but Ayala served equally a leading catalyst on the offensive terminate.

With Maryland leading 25-eighteen looking to proceeds added separation, Ayala's assertiveness throughout tin can be encapsulated in one sequence. Senior Darryl Morsell missed a perimeter shot from the wing and Ayala came flying in from the backside to corral a contested rebound in the low mail. He and then grabbed the rebound and utilized a shot simulated to describe a foul, knocking down both at the line.

"I was just kind of reading the defense," Ayala said. "I merely get one twenty-four hour period at a time, today I got to the line and it was easy for me to get to the line and make free throws."

That assertiveness connected into the second half equally Ayala connected to attack the basket with reckless carelessness. With less than half dozen minutes remaining, Ayala showed off with ii of his most impressive plays of the night. First, he dribbled around his defender on the perimeter and manvered within arresting contact for a crafty stop. Soon afterward, on a missed shot Ayala launched a precise laissez passer from halfcourt to Hakim Hart who threw downwardly the thunderous alley-oop extending Maryland'south lead to 72-59, another instance of Ayala'due south growing conviction.

Aaron Wiggins plays his well-nigh consummate game of the season:

Entering the 2020-21 flavour, junior guard Aaron Wiggins was expected to accept a big step from his sophomore to junior flavour. The get-go six games, Wiggins showed flashes of optimism, but struggled to generate consistency on the offensive end of the floor. However, Tuesday was a different story as Wiggins scored a flavour-high fifteen points and added ix rebounds on a season-high xvi shot attempts.

"Aaron Wiggins was merely aggressive," head autobus Marker Turgeon said. "I liked almost of his shots."

For much of the get-go one-half, Wiggins struggled to become his shot to fall, missing four of his outset five. Despite the early on struggles, Wiggins showed flashes of optimism the final three minutes of the beginning one-half. Get-go, he anticipated a laissez passer from guard Sherif Kenney and used his length for a steal, which he converted into a breakaway dunk.

On the Terps' side by side offensive possession, Wiggins knocked down a iii as he put together v quick points. Although he struggled to score in the first one-half, Wiggins fabricated an impact on the drinking glass with seven rebounds. Three of those were offensive rebounds, which helped prepare 2nd-run a risk opportunities for the Terps.

Building on his success from the latter stages of the beginning half, Wiggins seemed more than confident in the 2d half attacking one-on-ane matchups and looking for his shot more. On his iv second-one-half baskets, he showed a variety of means to score. Wiggins took his defender off of the distill to the basket with his left-hand, but as well used his length at 6-pes-6 for turnaround jumpers. That'south an encouraging sign for the Terps moving forward as Wiggins versatility offensively makes Maryland much harder to baby-sit.

"It was merely near me beingness confident and I got a couple of practiced looks," Wiggins said.

Hakim Hart proving to be Maryland'due south most reliable bench scoring option:

And so far through seven games, sophomore guard Hakim Hart has emerged as one of the bright spots for the Terps. Afterwards playing minimal action throughout concluding season, Hart has stepped upwardly this flavour with his increased minutes. Tuesday against La Salle, Hart scored 13 points putting up double figures for the third time this season.

8 of Hart'due south 13 points came in the 2d half with 3 key baskets in the final 12 minutes. With 12:22 remaining, guard Spencer Scott knocked down one of La Salle's 14 three-bespeak attempts, which cut Maryland'south lead to 52-45. However, on the ensuing possession Hart came down and drilled a iii to button Maryland'southward lead to double digits in one case again.

As the 2nd half progressed, Hart continued to convert timely hoops. With Maryland leading 58-47, Hart beat his defender off the dribble and attacked the basket arresting contact as he finished the crafty scoop layup an example of his growing confidence in this 2022 season.

A few minutes afterward, Hart threw down the same alley-oop jam on the feed from Ayala that energized the Terps bench. As Maryland enters the center of Big Ten play, Hart condign a more consistent and reliable scorer volition be a dandy asset for the Terps.

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Source: http://wmucsports.net/three-takeaways-from-maryland-mens-basketballs-win-over-la-salle/

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