COLLEGE PARK, Md. _ On a sleepy Sunday afternoon at Xfinity Center, Chol Marial proved to be a 7-foot-2 alarm clock.
First he woke up the crowd that had come for the noon start against Bryant, the Maryland men's basketball team's first home game in more than three weeks and the first game for the No. 13 Terps since they lost at Seton Hall on Dec. 19 and were left contemplating a two-game losing streak going into Christmas break.
Though the six days coach Mark Turgeon gave his players off after the disheartening loss in New Jersey didn't seem to change the energy level much coming out against the pesky Bulldogs, Marial did. While his numbers weren't eye-popping in Maryland's 84-70 victory, his presence was.
Given that it was Marial's first college game, nearly four months after he underwent surgery to help stress fractures in both legs heal with the insertion of titanium rods, the 20-year-old from South Sudan showed his promise in a 14-minute stint that produced three dunks, five rebounds, one block and one assist.
Senior guard Anthony Cowan Jr., coming off subpar performances against both Seton Hall and Penn State, led Maryland (11-2) with 19 points and four assists. Just as important, Cowan didn't turn the ball over in 33 minutes after committing nine turnovers in his past two games.
Two other Terps finished in double figures. Sophomore wing Aaron Wiggins scored 15 points to go along with nine rebounds, while sophomore forward Jalen Smith had his eighth double double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Senior guard Adam Grant led Bryant (8-5) with 25 points, including 17 in the second half.
At least for this game against their last nonconference opponent until the postseason, Maryland didn't seem to miss 6-foot-10 twin forwards Makhi and Makhel Mitchell, who left the team Friday after putting their names into the NCAA transfer portal. The Terps outrebounded the smaller Bulldogs 48-16, including 19-4 on the offensive boards.
Maryland will resume Big Ten play Jan. 4 against Indiana.
