COLLEGE PARK, Md. — It’s only three games into the 2021-22 season and the top men’s basketball teams in the Big Ten have been on the wrong end of upsets. No. 20 Maryland was next in line.
The Terps made a valiant comeback attempt in the final minute Wednesday night against George Mason as senior Eric Ayala made back-to-back 3-pointers to cut the deficit to 67-66 with 57 seconds remaining, but Davonte Gaines made a clutch basket late in the shot clock and the Patriots drained two more free throws to beat Maryland for the first time in 10 tries, 71-66, at the Xfinity Center.
Ayala scored the final nine points for Maryland (3-1), which joins No. 4 Michigan, which lost to Seton Hall, and No. 10 Illinois, which fell to a Darryl Morsell-led Marquette team, as ranked Big Ten teams to lose this week.
Junior forward Donta Scott scored a team-high 18 points and 10 rebounds and made 7 of 12 shots from the floor while Ayala finished with 17 points. Freshman Julian Reese (St. Frances) added 12 points and made all four of his shots, but none of it was enough as George Mason’s D’Shawn Schwartz scored 24 points and made six 3-pointers to pair with nine rebounds to lead the unbeaten Patriots to the upset.
George Mason’s De’Von Cooper added 16 points, five assists and two steals and Devonte Gaines had a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, including five off the offensive glass.
Over the past two games, Maryland had struggled in the first half. The Terps shot under 40% in the first half against George Washington and Vermont, leaving coach Mark Turgeon searching for answers.
During the opening minutes on Wednesday, there was a sense they were going to solve their first-half woes. Ayala and Scott made back-to-back 3-pointers and the Terps used a 7-0 run to take a 12-3 lead.
But things changed in a hurry. George Mason (4-0) locked down on defense and held Maryland scoreless for more than three minutes as the Patriots went on a 10-0 run to take a 22-18 lead with 8:07 remaining in the first half.
George Mason’s interior defense was strong. The Patriots constantly double-teamed Maryland junior forward Qudus Wahab, making him uncomfortable in the paint.
While George Mason was giving the Terps fits, Scott remained in a zone. He scored 13 points in the first half and was a marksman for the 3-point line, shooting a 3-for-3 from deep.
The Terps’ free throw shooting was lackluster as they missed all four first-half attempts, and they committed seven turnovers in the opening 20 minutes, which was attributed to sloppy play with the ball and George Mason’s pesky defense.
With the Terps trailing 25-21, Scott tried to ignite some energy by nailing a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to a one. During Maryland’s next possession, Reese showcased his ability from the perimeter, as he nailed a three to give the Terps a 27-25 advantage.
After George Mason forward Josh Oduro’s jumper tied the game at 27, Reese nailed a mid-range shot to regain the lead. Cooper, however, scored five consecutive points to give the Patriots a 32-31 lead at the half.
The Terps, who shot 52% from the floor in the first half, fell flat in the second. Schwartz lit up the Terps, scoring seven points during the Patriots’ 9-0 run that extended their lead to 10 with 13:04 remaining.
With less than 11 minutes to go, the Terps tried to gain momentum. Scott grabbed an offensive rebound then converted a layup. Sophomore guard Ian Martinez nailed a jumper before graduate transfer Xavier Green converted a reverse layup in transition to cut the deficit to 51-46.
Schwartz, however, had an answer. He nailed a 3-pointer from the top of the key to give the Patriots an eight-point advantage. A few possessions later, George Mason forward Blake Jones nailed another 3-pointer from the corner to extend the lead to 59-50 with 7:03 remaining. Overall, George Mason made 50% of their 3-point attempts (12-for-24) while Maryland made 32% (9-for-28).
The combination of Scott and Reese kept Maryland in the game. Scott scored off an offensive rebound while Reese made three consecutive free throws to cut the Patriots’ lead to 59-56.
As George Mason held the Terps scoreless for three minutes, Schwartz nailed his sixth 3-pointer of the evening to make it 64-56.
Maryland tried to make one last push at a comeback. Ayala nailed a 3-pointer before Martinez made a free throw to cut the lead to five. Ayala continued to have the hot hand, as he nailed back-to-back 3-point shotsto cut the deficit to 67-66 with 57 seconds left.
Oduro’s layup late in the shot clock with 27 seconds left gave the Patriots a three-point lead, and Ayala put up a contested three that hit the front of the rim. Two made free throws by Gaines with 14 seconds left iced it.
HOFSTRA@NO. 20 MARYLAND
Friday, 6:30 p.m.
