Pittsburgh Hands Maryland Its First Loss 73-59
By DAVID GINSBURG, AP Sports Writer
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Pittsburgh was so darn good in the first half, coach Kevin Stallings found it easy to forgive his players' misdeeds over the final 20 minutes.
Jamel Artis scored 15 of his 22 points before halftime, and the Panthers held off previously unbeaten Maryland 73-59 Tuesday night in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
The Panthers (6-1) shot 67 percent from the floor in the first half, including 5 for 10 beyond the arc, and used a 25-4 run to build a 46-25 lead at the break.
"I thought our team played about as well in the first half as we've played on both ends," Stallings said. "We were alert and active."
It was 51-26 with 15:45 remaining before Maryland (7-1) closed to 63-55 with three minutes left, in part because Pittsburgh shot 26 percent in the second half.
Coming off two come-from-behind wins in the Barclays Center Classic in New York, Maryland was vying for its first 8-0 start in 10 years.
Instead, the Terrapins absorbed their worst home defeat since falling by 18 to Duke in February 2011.
Though coach Mark Turgeon wouldn't cite fatigue as a factor, he was quick to point out that the Terrapins were coming off late games on Friday and Saturday.
"It was a good time to catch us," he said.
Michael Young scored 25 and Cameron Johnson added 11 for Pittsburgh, which extended its winning streak to four despite being outscored 35-28 after halftime.
Melo Trimble led Maryland with 13 points, but he missed 9 of 13 shots. The Terps shot 34 percent, committed 14 turnovers and were outrebounded 38-36.
Trimble insisted that playing for the third time in five days had nothing to do with it.
"We like playing basketball; this is what we do," he said. "I don't think fatigue was a factor; it's just we couldn't hit shots and they played well."
Pittsburgh led 26-20 before Artis made a 3-point play, a 3-pointer and a layup to spark a 14-0 spurt that made it a 20-point game.
"They kind of punched us in the mouth in the first half," Turgeon said.
Maryland, formerly of the ACC, is 0-3 in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge since 10 joining the Big Ten.
THE TAKEAWAY
Pittsburgh: Despite the late fade, the Panthers proved they can play with some of the stronger teams in the country. This one erases some of the doubt created by a nine-point loss to SMU and a five-point win at home against Yale.
Maryland: The Terps have put themselves in a seemingly insurmountable hole many times this season, and this was no exception. On this occasion, the deficit was simply too much to handle. Maryland can't afford these slow starts once Big Ten play begins.
ZONED OUT
Pittsburgh's zone defense was a factor in Maryland going 9 for 26 in the first half, including 4 for 16 from beyond the arc.
"It took away a lot of drives," Young said. "They had to swing the ball around the perimeter."
Asked if Maryland's struggle against the zone could be a factor in the future, Turgeon replied, "Please zone us. We're going to be great against the zone."
FRIENDLY FOES
Stallings and Turgeon were assistant coaches under Roy Williams at Kansas from 1989-92. During that time, Williams made a comment that stuck with Stallings over the years and was very applicable on Tuesday night.
"He used to say that in the dictionary, the definition of fun was ... winning on the road," Stallings said. "It's hard to win on the road. This was certainly fun for our guys. And fun for our staff. Nice to come here and beat a good team on the road in a good environment."
UP NEXT
Pittsburgh faces local rival Duquesne on Friday night in The City Game, a tradition that started in 1932.
Maryland hosts Oklahoma State (5-1) on Saturday night. The Cowboys are coming off a 27-point win over Georgetown, a team the Terrapins beat 76-75.