COLLEGE PARK, Md. — It took until the final four seconds for No. 20 Maryland men’s basketball to take control of its Friday night matchup against Hofstra.
Senior guard Eric Ayala blocked a go-ahead 3-point attempt and sophomore transfer Ian Martinez nailed a pair of free throws after corralling to loose ball to lift the Terps past Hofstra, 69-67, at the Xfinity Center.
Graduate student point guard Fatts Russell stole an inbounds pass in the final seconds to seal a nail-biting victory that shouldn’t have been that close to begin with.
Ayala scored 14 points and Russell and Martinez added 13 points each to lead the Terps (4-1), who bounced back from a 71-66 loss to George Mason on Wednesday. Freshman forward Julian Reese had 10 points and six rebounds while junior forward Qudus Wahab scored six points in just eight minutes, all in the first half.
During the opening minutes of the game, the Pride used their 3-point shooting to hang tight with the Terps. Hofstra shot 40% from deep through the first eight minutes, as back-to-back 3-pointers by Zach Cooks and Jalen Ray gave the Pride a 16-14 lead with 12:19 to go.
The Pride led by four points when Maryland finally responded. Junior guard Hakim Hart nailed a contested 3-pointer before Reese converted a layup to give Maryland a one-point advantage.
Hart, who entered Friday shooting 0 for 7 from the 3-point line, converted another shot from beyond the arc to give the Terps a 24-20 lead.
The Terps, however, couldn’t keep the energy, as they recorded four turnovers and were held scoreless for five straight minutes. With 2:35 remaining in the first half, the home crowd was silent when Cooks nailed a 3-pointer to give the Pride a 31-27 lead. Maryland played sloppy basketball for a good chunk of the game, committing 15 turnovers.
Suddenly, Martinez ignited a spark. The Utah transfer scored seven straight points to give the Terps a one-point advantage. Ayala dished the ball to Martinez, who delivered a one-handed slam. The Terps finished the half on a 7-0 run to take a 3-point lead. Both teams started the second half slow, shooting a combined 2-for-14 from the field.
With 15:43 remaining in the game, Reese swatted Cooks’ layup attempt. Ayala grabbed the rebound and passed to Russell, who sped down the court before dishing it to forward Donta Scott for a two-handed dunk that gave Maryland a 45-40 lead.
After Scott’s dunk, there was a wave of offense from the Terps. Ayala nailed a 3-pointer while Reese dominated in the low post, scoring six points in a five-minute span to give the Terps a 54-48 lead.
Once again, Maryland showed it lacks the offensive consistency to continue scoring runs. The Terps struggled shooting, while Hofstra continued to attack the paint to take a 61-60 lead with 4:31 left in regulation.
Despite the Terps converting one of their last seven shot attempts, they were able to take the lead thanks to Russell’s ability to attack the rim and get to the free-throw line. The Rhode Island transfer hit two free throws to give Maryland a 63-61 lead.
Hofstra responded when Ray nailed a 3-pointer to take a 64-63 lead with 3:06 to go. Ray had Maryland fans scratching their heads when he converted another shot from beyond the arc to extend Hofstra’s lead to four points, 67-63, with 1:26 to go.
After Reese scored in the paint, Ayala easily drove to the rim to convert a game-tying layup with 19.6 seconds left. Ayala came through big at the other end, blocking Hofstra guard Omar Silverio’s potential go-ahead 3-point attempt. Martinez was fouled as he attempted to grab the ball.
Martinez converted the go-ahead free throws before Russell stole the ball during the inbounds pass.
