COLLEGE PARK, Md. - After completing regular season non-conference play with an 81-63 win over IUPUI on Tuesday, Maryland opens the conference portion of its schedule as Virginia Tech visits Comcast Center Saturday at noon. The Terps enter the game with a 12-1 mark, their best record entering conference play since 1998-99, when they were 13-1.

Storyline

• In their 12-game winning streak, the Terps have evolved into one of the better shooting teams in the nation. Maryland ranks 10th nationally in field goal percentage at .503, and has connected on better than 50 percent of its shots in eight of the last 11 games. Over the past four games, Maryland is shooting 55.6 percent, including 39.7 percent from 3-point range. That’s helped Maryland outscore opponents by an average margin of 17.2 points per game this year, a mark which ranks second in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

• The Terrapins’ depth, which has been an asset all season, showed in the 81-63 win over IUPUI. All ten players who are in the regular rotation received double-digit minutes and all made at least two field goals. Eight Terps scored at least seven points in the game, with Seth Allen (13) and Logan Aronhalt (10) leading the way. Aronhalt knocked down 3-of-4 3-pointers in the game and is shooting 55.8 percent on the season. That mark would lead the conference, but Aronhalt doesn’t have enough attempts to qualify.

• Although Maryland started slow against IUPUI, trailing 14-3 early in the game, the bench once again provided a lift. Maryland’s non-starters outscored IUPUI’s 43-2 in the game, and on the season the bench is outscoring opponents by an average margin of 29.1 to 11.5.

• The Terps continue to be one of the better teams in the country in terms of field goal percentage defense. They entered the week ranked second nationally in field goal percentage defense. After allowing three of the first four opponents this season to surpass 70 points, the Terps have held the last nine opponents under 70.

On a Streak

• Maryland won its 12th straight game on Jan. 1 with a 81-63 victory over IUPUI. Its the 11th time in school history the Terps have a winning streak of at least 10 games. The current winning streak is going on 55 days.

• The longest winning streak in school history was a 14-game streak in 1931-32. In the past 30 years, Maryland has put together a 10-game winning streak on six occasions (including this year). Each of the previous seasons, they’ve gone on to play in the NCAA Tournament.

Field-Goal Percentage Defense

• Maryland entered this week ranked second nationally in field goal percentage defense at .344. That number now stands at .351 after IUPUI shot .444. That’s a major improvement over last year, when opponents shot 42.8 percent and were held under 35 percent on just four occasions. The Terps have held seven of the last nine opponents under 35 percent shooting, with Stony Brook and IUPUI being the exceptions.

• Since 2000, five Terrapin teams have held the opponent under 40 percent shooting. Of those five, four went on to at least the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Quick Hitters

• Maryland is 7-5 in conference openers since 2000, though the Terps have lost their last two ACC openers. The last win in a conference opener was against Florida State in the 2009-10 season. Head coach Mark Turgeon is 9-5 in league openers in his career.

• Charles Mitchell earned ACC Rookie of the Week honors on Dec. 31 for his play against Delaware State on Dec. 29. Mitchell came off the bench to score 19 points and grab 14 rebounds, both career highs. Mitchell is the second Terp to earn weekly ACC honors; Alex Len was Player of the Week on Nov. 12.

• Seven of the 10 players in Maryland’s regular rotation are underclassmen and 77.9 percent of Maryland’s scoring (56.9 of 76.5 points) is coming from underclassmen.

• When Seth Allen, Jake Layman and Shaquille Cleare drew starts against UMES, it marked the first time Maryland started three true freshmen since Dec. 28, 1993, when Keith Booth, Matt Kovarik and Joe Smith did vs. Hofstra.

• In Maryland’s 12-game winning streak, the Terps have assisted on 223 of 337 field goals (66.2 percent).

• The Terps have made more free throws than the opponent has attempted this season (200 to 169).

• At least eight players have scored in 12 of Maryland’s 13 games this year. The exception is vs. George Mason, when just seven players scored.

Dominating the Paint

• Maryland has enjoyed an advantage in points in the paint throughout the year. The Terps have outscored the opponent in 11 of 13 games; the exceptions are Morehead State (28-28 tie) and Stony Brook (28-32). On average, Maryland is scoring 40.0 points in the paint while holding its opponent to 21.7 points.

Super Subs

• Maryland’s bench has been an asset all season, as the Terps’ non-starters have outscored the opponents non-starters in 11 of 13 games (exceptions are Kentucky & George Mason). Most recently, the bench outscored IUPUI’s 43-2 to help overcome an early 14-3 deficit, as Maryland went on to win 81-63.

• On the year, Maryland’s bench has a 378-149 (29.1 to 11.5 per game) advantage over the opponent. The biggest advantage Maryland has had this season was against UMES on Dec. 5 (55-7).

• Seth Allen (7.2 ppg), Charles Mitchell (6.5 ppg), Logan Aronhalt (6.0 ppg), and Shaquille Cleare (5.6 ppg) have been the biggest contributors.

• Aronhalt is the long-range specialist. He is two 3-point field goals made of qualifying for the ACC lead, but his .558 mark from beyond the arc would lead the league. He has made at least one 3-pointer in 11 of 13 games this season.

Sophomore Jump

• After averaging 6.0 points and 5.4 rebounds per game as a freshman, Alex Len has developed into Maryland’s most consistent scoring threat as a sophomore. Len is averaging 13.3 points per game, which ranks first in the ACC among centers and t-15th overall. His 8.0 rebounds per game rank sixth. Len also ranks second in the league with 2.3 blocks per game. He has three double-doubles this season: against Kentucky (23 & 12), Northwestern (13 & 13) and Monmouth (14 & 10).

More on Assists
• Maryland is tied for fourth nationally with 18.5 assists per game behind Notre Dame (19.5), North Carolina (19.5), Pittsburgh (19.1) and tied with UCLA (18.5).

• Pe’Shon Howard, who ranks second in the ACC with 5.8 assists per game, would be in some rare company if he can average 6.0 assists per game this season. In the past 25 years, just three players have averaged more than 6.0 assists per game at Maryland: Terrell Stokes in 1998-99, Steve Blake from 1999-2003, and Greivis Vasquez in 2007-08 and 2009-10.

• Maryland’s 28 assists against LIU Brooklyn were nine more than the team’s season-high of 19 last year. In fact, the last time a Maryland team had more assists in a game was in the 2002-03 season, when the Terps had 29 on two occasions. The Terps also had 28 assists in a game on 2/9/11 vs. Longwood and 12/31/05 vs. VMI. The school record for assists in a game is 37.

• Howard’s 13 assists vs. LIU Brooklyn are tied for the fourth-most in a single game by a Terp. The only better performances are: Greivis Vasquez (2008) and Terrell Stokes (1998) with 15; and Steve Blake (2002) and Terrell Stokes (1996) with 14.

Force on the Boards
• Maryland leads the Atlantic Coast Conference and ranks third nationally in rebounding margin at plus-13.5 per game. Just Colorado State (plus-14.2) and Missouri (plus-14.2) rank above that. Maryland is the only ACC school with a double-figure advantage in rebounding margin; North Carolina is second at plus-6.2.

• The Terps have built advantages on the boards in all 13 games this season.

• Alex Len and Charles Mitchell are the biggest factors in that; Len averages 8.0 rpg and Mitchell averages 6.8. Len ranks sixth in the conference and Mitchell ranks 13th, including second among freshmen. There are five Terps averaging at least 3.9 rebounds per game (also Dez Wells, James Padgett and Nick Faust).

• Len ranks second in the conference with 3.1 offensive rebounds per game, and the Terps are averaging 13.6 offensive rebounds per game as a team, second in the league behind North Carolina (16.3).

• Mitchell made an impressive debut by grabbing 10 rebounds in his first career game, against No. 3 Kentucky. That’s the most rebounds by a Maryland freshman in his debut since Buck Williams had 13 against Bucknell in 1978. Williams went on to lead the ACC in rebounding that year (10.8 pg) en route to capturing ACC Rookie of the Year honors.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Maryland takes on IUPUI in a New Years Day matinee for its final non-conference game of the regular season. The Terps come into the game having won 11 in a row, the school’s longest winning streak since winning 13 in a row in 2002.

Storyline

• Following the game with IUPUI, which will be the first meeting of the two schools, Maryland begins conference play as Virginia Tech visits Saturday at noon. A win over IUPUI would give Maryland a 12-1 record which would be its best mark entering conference play since 1998-99, when it was 13-1.

• The Terps got their 11th straight win on Saturday by dispatching Delaware State, 79-50. Charles Mitchell came off the bench and set season highs with 19 points and 14 rebounds. The freshman connected on 8 of 12 field goals, while seven of his 14 boards were on the offensive end. Mitchell, who ranks first among ACC freshmen with 6.9 rebounds per game, recorded a double-double for the third time this season and was named the ACC Rookie of the Week.

• Maryland shot 56.9 percent in the game, marking the seventh time in the last 10 games they’ve exceeded the 50 percent mark. The Terps rank second in the conference with a .500 field goal percentage on the year. Defensively, Maryland has been one of the best teams in the nation. They lead the conference with a .344 field goal percentage defense, and just three opponents all year have shot better than 40 percent. Delaware State was held to 32.1 percent shooting (18-56), including just 3-of-15 from 3-point. Maryland also forced 19 turnovers, one shy of a season high, in outscoring DSU 29-8 in points off turnovers.

• The Terps also continued their dominance in the paint vs. Delaware State, outscoring the Hornets 58-20. On the year, Maryland is outscoring opponents 40.2 to 22.2 on average in the paint.

On a Streak

• Maryland won its 11th straight game on Dec. 29 with a 79-50 victory over Delaware State. Its the 11th time in school history the Terps have a winning streak of at least 10 games. The current winning streak is going on 51 days.

• The longest winning streak in school history was a 14-game streak in 1931-32. In the past 30 years, Maryland has put together a 10-game winning streak on six occasions (including this year). Each of the previous seasons, they’ve gone on to play in the NCAA Tournament.

Field-Goal Percentage Defense

• Opponents are shooting just 34.4 percent against Maryland, a mark which ranks third nationally. That’s a major improvement over last year, when opponents shot 42.8 percent and were held under 35 percent on just four occasions. The Terps have held seven of the last eight opponents under 35 percent shooting, with Stony Brook being the exception.

• Since 2000, five Terrapin teams have held the opponent under 40 percent shooting. Of those five, four went on to at least the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Quick Hitters

• Maryland’s three primary ball handlers rank in the top 15 in the ACC in assist-to-turnover ratio. Pe’Shon Howard is first at 3.2,Nick Faust is 8th at 1.9, and Seth Allen is 11th at 1.7.

• When Seth Allen, Jake Layman and Shaquille Cleare drew starts against UMES, it marked the first time Maryland started three true freshmen since Dec. 28, 1993, when Keith Booth, Matt Kovarik and Joe Smith did vs. Hofstra.

• In Maryland’s 11-game winning streak, the Terps have assisted on 207 of 308 field goals (67.2 percent).

• The Terps have made more free throws than the opponent has attempted this season (185 to 160).

• At least eight players have scored in 11 of Maryland’s 12 games this year. The exception is vs. George Mason, when just seven players scored.

Dominating the Paint

• Maryland has enjoyed an advantage in points in the paint throughout the year. The Terps have outscored the opponent in 10 of 12 games; the exceptions are Morehead State (28-28 tie) and Stony Brook (28-32). On average, Maryland is scoring 42.2 points in the paint while holding its opponent to 22.2 points.

Super Subs

• Maryland’s bench has been an asset all season, as the Terps’ non-starters have outscored the opponents non-starters in 10 of 12 games (exceptions are Kentucky & George Mason).

• On the year, Maryland’s bench has a 335-147 advantage over the opponent. The biggest advantage Maryland has had this season was against UMES on Dec. 5 (55-7).

• Seth Allen (6.7 ppg), Charles Mitchell (6.4 ppg), Logan Aronhalt (5.7 ppg), and Shaquille Cleare (5.4 ppg) have been the biggest contributors.

• Aronhalt is the long-range specialist. He hit all four of his 3-point attempts vs. Georgia Southern and made 3 of 5 at Northwestern. Against UMES, Aronhalt scored a season-high 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including 5-of-7 from 3-point range. On the year, he has hit 21 of 39 from 3-point range (.538).

Sophomore Jump

• After averaging 6.0 points and 5.4 rebounds per game as a freshman, Alex Len has developed into Maryland’s most consistent scoring threat as a sophomore. Len is averaging 13.7 points per game, which ranks first in the ACC among centers and 12th overall. His 8.3 rebounds per game rank sixth. Len also ranks second in the league with 2.3 blocks per game. He has three double-doubles this season: against Kentucky (23 & 12), Northwestern (13 & 13) and Monmouth (14 & 10).

More on Assists
• Maryland entered the week ranked fourth nationally with 18.6 assists per game behind North Carolina (20.1), Pittsburgh (19.6) and Notre Dame (19.5).

• Pe’Shon Howard, who is tied for the ACC lead with 6.1 assists per game, would be in some rare company if he can average 6.0 assists per game this season. In the past 25 years, just three players have averaged more than 6.0 assists per game at Maryland: Terrell Stokes in 1998-99, Steve Blake from 1999-2003, and Greivis Vasquez in 2007-08 and 2009-10.

• Maryland’s 28 assists against LIU Brooklyn were nine more than the team’s season-high of 19 last year. In fact, the last time a Maryland team had more assists in a game was in the 2002-03 season, when the Terps had 29 on two occasions. The Terps also had 28 assists in a game on 2/9/11 vs. Longwood and 12/31/05 vs. VMI. The school record for assists in a game is 37.

• Howard’s 13 assists vs. LIU Brooklyn are tied for the fourth-most in a single game by a Terp. The only better performances are: Greivis Vasquez (2008) and Terrell Stokes (1998) with 15; and Steve Blake (2002) and Terrell Stokes (1996) with 14.

Force on the Boards
• Maryland leads the Atlantic Coast Conference and ranks third nationally in rebounding margin at plus-13.4 per game. Just Colorado State (plus-14.6) and Missouri (plus-14.2) rank above that.

• The Terps have built advantages on the boards in all 12 games this season.

• Alex Len and Charles Mitchell are the biggest factors in that; Len averages 8.3 rpg and Mitchell averages 6.9. Len ranks sixth in the conference and Mitchell ranks 10th, including first among freshmen. There are five Terps averaging at least 4.0 rebounds per game (also Dez Wells, James Padgett and Nick Faust).

• Len ranks second in the conference with 3.1 offensive rebounds per game, and the Terps are averaging 13.9 offensive rebounds per game as a team, second in the league behind North Carolina (16.3).

• Mitchell made an impressive debut by grabbing 10 rebounds in his first career game, against No. 3 Kentucky. That’s the most rebounds by a Maryland freshman in his debut since Buck Williams had 13 against Bucknell in 1978. Williams went on to lead the ACC in rebounding that year (10.8 pg) en route to capturing ACC Rookie of the Year honors.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - After taking an eight-day break for final exams, Maryland returns to action for its final game before Christmas break when it takes on Stony Brook Friday night. The teams have met just once in history, a 107-59 Maryland victory on Dec. 6, 2000.

Storyline

• The Terps extended their winning streak to nine games with a 71-38 victory over Monmouth last week, marking the longest winning streak since they had a 13-game run during the 2001-02 national championship season. A win over Stony Brook would give Maryland a winning streak of 10 games for the 11th time in school history (see chart, page 2).

• Alex Len recorded his third double-double of the year with 14 points and 10 rebounds vs. Monmouth, and continues to pace the Terps in scoring (13.9 ppg), rebounding (8.8 rpg) and blocks (2.6 bpg). His five blocks vs. Monmouth were a career high and the most by a Terp since Jordan Williams had six against Virginia on 3/5/2011.

• Maryland’s depth has been an asset all season, as 10 players are averaging double-figure minutes and eight are averaging at least 5.4 points per game. In each of the past three games, Maryland was able to clear its bench, with all 14 eligible players seeing action.

• The Terps rank highly in rebounding margin, assists and field goal percentage defense. In all 10 games, the Terps have outrebounded their opponent, and they rank second nationally with a plus-15.2 rebounding margin. Pe’Shon Howard ranks second in the ACC with 6.0 assists per game, and as a team Maryland ranks fourth nationally with 18.8 per game. The Terps have held their opponent under 35 percent shooting in six straight games, and rank fourth nationally in field goal percentage defense (.338) on the year.

On a Streak

• Maryland looks for its 10th straight win Friday night when it takes on Stony Brook. Should the Terps win, it would be the 11th time in school history they’ve had a winning streak of at least 10 games. The Terps’ current winning streak is going on 40 days.

• The longest winning streak in school history was a 14-game streak in 1931-32. In the past 30 years, Maryland has put together a 10-game winning streak on five occasions. Each of those seasons, they’ve gone on to play in the NCAA Tournament.

Field-Goal Percentage Defense

• The Terps have held six straight opponents under 35 percent shooting, including holding Monmouth to just 20.6 percent. On the year, opponents are shooting just 33.8 percent, a mark which ranks fourth nationally. That’s a major improvement over last year, when opponents shot 42.8 percent and were held under 35 percent on just four occasions.

• Since 2000, five Terrapin teams have held the opponent under 40 percent shooting. Of those five, four went on to at least the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Quick Hitters

• Maryland’s three primary ball handlers rank in the top 10 in the ACC in assist-to-turnover ratio. Pe’Shon Howard is first at 3.2,Nick Faust is eighth at 1.9, and Seth Allen is 10th at 1.7.

• When Seth Allen, Jake Layman and Shaquille Cleare drew starts against UMES, it marked the first time Maryland started three true freshmen since Dec. 28, 1993, when Keith Booth, Matt Kovarik and Joe Smith did vs. Hofstra.

• In Maryland’s nine-game winning streak, the Terps have assisted on 171 of 247 field goals (69.2 percent).

• Six different players have led Maryland in scoring during the nine-game winning streak. Nick Faust had 12 vs. Morehead State, Seth Allen had 19 vs. LIU Brooklyn, Alex Len had 16 vs. Lafayette, Charles Mitchell had 13 vs. Georgia Southern, andDez Wells had 23 vs. Northwestern and 25 vs. George Mason. Logan Aronhalt was then the high scorer vs. UMES with 17, Len was with 13 vs. S.C. State, and Faust led with 16 vs. Monmouth.

• The Terps have made more free throws than the opponent has attempted this season (163 to 135).

• At least eight players have scored in nine of Maryland’s 10 games this year. The exception is vs. George Mason, when just seven players scored.

Dominating the Paint

• Maryland has enjoyed an advantage in points in the paint throughout the year. The Terps have outscored the opponent in nine of 10 games, with the exception being the Morehead State game when each team had 28. On average, Maryland is scoring 39.6 points in the paint while holding its opponent to 21.4 points.

Super Subs

• Maryland’s bench has been an asset all season, as the Terps’ non-starters have outscored the opponents non-starters in eight of 10 games (exceptions are Kentucky & George Mason).

• On the year, Maryland’s bench has a 271-122 advantage over the opponent. The biggest advantage Maryland has had this season was against UMES on Dec. 5 (55-7).

• Seth Allen (6.1 ppg), Shaquille Cleare (5.9 ppg), Logan Aronhalt (5.9 ppg) and Charles Mitchell (5.4 ppg) have been the biggest contributors.

• Aronhalt is the long-range specialist. He hit all four of his 3-point attempts vs. Georgia Southern and made 3 of 5 at Northwestern. Against UMES, Aronhalt scored a season-high 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including 5-of-7 from 3-point range. On the year, he has hit 18 of 31 from 3-point range (.581).

Sophomore Jump

• • After averaging 6.0 points and 5.4 rebounds per game as a freshman, Alex Len has developed into Maryland’s most consistent scoring threat as a sophomore. Len is averaging 13.9 points per game, which ranks first in the ACC among centers and 12th overall. His 8.8 rebounds per game rank sixth. Len also leads the league with 2.6 blocks per game. He has three double-doubles this season: against Kentucky (23 & 12), Northwestern (13 & 13) and Monmouth (14 & 10).

More on Assists

• Maryland ranks fourth nationally with 18.8 assists per game behind Pittsburgh (20.1), North Carolina (19.3) and Notre Dame (19.0).

• Pe’Shon Howard, who ranks second in the ACC with 6.0 assists per game, would be in some rare company if he can average 6.0 assists per game this season. In the past 25 years, just three players have averaged more than 6.0 assists per game at Maryland: Terrell Stokes in 1998-99, Steve Blake from 1999-2003, and Greivis Vasquez in 2007-08 and 2009-10.

• Maryland’s 28 assists against LIU Brooklyn were nine more than the team’s season-high of 19 last year. In fact, the last time a Maryland team had more assists in a game was in the 2002-03 season, when the Terps had 29 on two occasions. The Terps also had 28 assists in a game on 2/9/11 vs. Longwood and 12/31/05 vs. VMI. The school record for assists in a game is 37.

• Howard’s 13 assists vs. LIU Brooklyn are tied for the fourth-most in a single game by a Terp. The only better performances are: Greivis Vasquez (2008) and Terrell Stokes (1998) with 15; and Steve Blake (2002) and Terrell Stokes (1996) with 14.

Force on the Boards

• Maryland leads the Atlantic Coast Conference and ranks second nationally in rebounding margin at plus-15.2 per game. The only team in the nation with a better margin is Colorado State (plus-16.1).

• The Terps have built advantages on the boards in all 10 games this season. Against Northwestern, Maryland built a 47-19 advantage on the boards, the largest margin this season.

• Alex Len and Charles Mitchell are the biggest factors in that; Len averages 8.8 rpg and Mitchell averages 6.5. Len ranks sixth in the conference and Mitchell ranks 14th, including second among freshmen. There are five Terps averaging at least 4.0 rebounds per game (also Dez Wells, James Padgett and Nick Faust).

• Len leads the conference with 3.3 offensive rebounds per game, and the Terps are averaging 14.7 offensive rebounds per game as a team, second in the league behind North Carolina (16.3).

• Mitchell made an impressive debut by grabbing 10 rebounds in his first career game, against No. 3 Kentucky. That’s the most rebounds by a Maryland freshman in his debut since Buck Williams had 13 against Bucknell in 1978. Williams went on to lead the ACC in rebounding that year (10.8 pg) en route to capturing ACC Rookie of the Year honors.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - In the midst of an eight-game winning streak that is Maryland’s longest since the 2006 season, the Terps continue their December homestand as Monmouth visits Comcast Center Wednesday at 8 p.m. Maryland and Monmouth have met twice in school history, in 1988 and 2001, with the Terps winning both games.

Storyline

• The Terps have tinkered with the starting lineup in each of the last two games, as Shaquille Cleare, Seth Allen and Jake Layman drew their first starts against UMES, and Charles Mitchell and Logan Aronhalt drew their first starts vs. South Carolina State. Maryland’s depth has been an asset all season, as 10 players are averaging double-figure minutes and eight are averaging at least 6.0 points per game.

• The win over South Carolina State extended Maryland’s winning streak to eight games, which is the longest since the Terps opened the 2006-07 season on an eight-game win streak. A win over Monmouth would give the Terps their longest winning streak since 2002, when they won 13 in a row between January and March.

• In each of the past two games, Maryland was able to clear its bench, with all 14 eligible players seeing action. Twelve Terps scored at least one point against UMES, and 10 scored against South Carolina State. The Maryland bench outscored its opponents 82-16 over the past two games and on the season has a 252-108 advantage.

• Maryland’s biggest advantages have come in rebounding margin, assists and field goal percentage defense. In all nine games, the Terps have outrebounded their opponent, and they rank second nationally with a plus-15.2 rebounding margin.Pe’Shon Howard leads the league with 5.9 assists per game, and as a team Maryland ranks third nationally with 18.8 per game. The Terps have held their opponent under 35 percent shooting in five straight games, and are tied for 10th nationally in field goal percentage defense (.354) on the year.

Quick Hitters

• Maryland’s three primary ball handlers rank in the top 6 in the ACC in assist-to-turnover ratio. Pe’Shon Howard is first at 3.31,Nick Faust is fifth at 2.33, and Seth Allen is sixth at 2.26.

• When Seth Allen, Jake Layman and Shaquille Cleare drew starts against UMES, it marked the first time Maryland started three true freshmen since Dec. 28, 1993, when Keith Booth, Matt Kovarik and Joe Smith did vs. Hofstra.

• In Maryland’s eight-game winning streak, the Terps have assisted on 152 of 222 field goals (68.5 percent).

• Six different players have led Maryland in scoring during the eight-game winning streak. Nick Faust had 12 vs. Morehead State, Seth Allen had 19 vs. LIU Brooklyn, Alex Len had 16 vs. Lafayette, Charles Mitchell had 13 vs. Georgia Southern, andDez Wells had 23 vs. Northwestern and 25 vs. George Mason. Logan Aronhalt was then the high scorer vs. UMES with 17, and Alex Len was with 13 vs. S.C. State.

• The Terps have made more free throws than the opponent has attempted this season (148 to 127).

• At least eight players have scored in eight of Maryland’s nine games this year. The exception is vs. George Mason, when just seven players scored.

Dominating the Paint

• Maryland has enjoyed an advantage in points in the paint throughout the year. The Terps have outscored the opponent in eight of nine games, with the exception being the Morehead State game when each team had 28. On average, Maryland is scoring 39.8 points in the paint while holding its opponent to 22.2 points.

Super Subs

• Maryland’s bench has been an asset all season, as the Terps’ non-starters have outscored the opponents non-starters in seven of nine games (exceptions are Kentucky & George Mason).

• On the year, Maryland’s bench has a 252-108 advantage over the opponent. The biggest advantage Maryland has had this season was against UMES on Dec. 5 (55-7).

• Seth Allen (6.3 ppg), Shaquille Cleare (6.3 ppg), Charles Mitchell (6.0 ppg) and Logan Aronhalt (6.0 ppg) have been the biggest contributors.

• Aronhalt is the long-range specialist. He hit all four of his 3-point attempts vs. Georgia Southern and made 3 of 5 at Northwestern. Against UMES, Aronhalt scored a season-high 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including 5-of-7 from 3-point range. On the year, he has hit 17 of 28 from 3-point range (.607).

Sophomore Jump

• After averaging 6.0 points and 5.4 rebounds per game as a freshman, Alex Len has developed into Maryland’s most consistent scoring threat as a sophomore. Len is averaging 13.9 points per game, which ranks first in the ACC among centers and tied for 11th overall. His 8.7 rebounds per game rank fifth. Len also ranks third in the league with 2.3 blocks per game. He has two double-doubles this season: against Kentucky (23 & 12) and Northwestern (13 & 13).

More on Assists

• Maryland ranks third nationally with 18.8 assists per game behind North Carolina (20.1) and Pittsburgh (18.9).

• Pe’Shon Howard, who leads the ACC with 5.9 assists per game, would be in some rare company if he can average 6.0 assists per game this season. In the past 25 years, just three players have averaged more than 6.0 assists per game at Maryland: Terrell Stokes in 1998-99, Steve Blake from 1999-2003, and Greivis Vasquez in 2007-08 and 2009-10.

• Maryland’s 28 assists against LIU Brooklyn were nine more than the team’s season-high of 19 last year. In fact, the last time a Maryland team had more assists in a game was in the 2002-03 season, when the Terps had 29 on two occasions. The Terps also had 28 assists in a game on 2/9/11 vs. Longwood and 12/31/05 vs. VMI. The school record for assists in a game is 37.

• Howard’s 13 assists vs. LIU Brooklyn are tied for the fourth-most in a single game by a Terp. The only better performances are: Greivis Vasquez (2008) and Terrell Stokes (1998) with 15; and Steve Blake (2002) and Terrell Stokes (1996) with 14.

Force on the Boards

• Maryland leads the Atlantic Coast Conference and ranks second nationally in rebounding margin at plus-15.2 per game. The only team in the nation with a better margin is Colorado State (plus-16.1).

• The Terps have built advantages on the boards in all nine games this season. Against Northwestern, Maryland built a 47-19 advantage on the boards, the largest margin this season.

• Alex Len and Charles Mitchell are the biggest factors in that; Len averages 8.7 rpg and Mitchell averages 6.9. Len ranks fifth in the conference and Mitchell ranks 13th, including first among freshmen. There are five Terps averaging at least 4.0 rebounds per game (also Dez Wells, James Padgett and Nick Faust).

• Len is tied for second in the conference with 3.3 offensive rebounds per game, and the Terps are averaging 15.6 offensive rebounds per game as a team, second in the league behind North Carolina (16.6).

• Mitchell made an impressive debut by grabbing 10 rebounds in his first career game, against No. 3 Kentucky. That’s the most rebounds by a Maryland freshman in his debut since Buck Williams had 13 against Bucknell in 1978. Williams went on to lead the ACC in rebounding that year (10.8 pg) en route to capturing ACC Rookie of the Year honors.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - After winning a pair of games away from home last week, Maryland returns to Comcast Center to start an eight-game homestand when it takes on Maryland Eastern Shore Wednesday night. The Terps have won all 15 previous meetings with the Hawks.

Storyline

• Led by Dez Wells, the Terps won at Northwestern in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, and vs. George Mason in the BB&T Classic last week. Wells set career highs in each game, scoring 23 points at Northwestern before pouring in 25 vs. Mason. The sophomore connected on 20 of 28 shots (.714) in those two games and is now shooting 54.2 percent on the season, which ranks second among ACC guards and fifth overall.

• Though Wells led Maryland in scoring in back-to-back games, the Terps have relied upon a multitude of scoring options this season. Five different players have led Maryland in scoring in a game, and three are averaging double-figure scoring: Alex Len (14.7 ppg), Wells (13.9 ppg) and Nick Faust (11.0 ppg).

• Maryland’s biggest advantages have come in rebounding margin, assists and field goal percentage defense. In all seven games, the Terps have outrebounded their opponent, and they rank second nationally with a plus-17.0 rebounding margin.Pe’Shon Howard leads the league with 6.7 assists per game, and as a team Maryland ranks second in the league and t-9th nationally with 18.0 per game. The Terps have held their opponent under 35 percent shooting in three straight games, and on the season lead the league and rank 24th nationally by holding opponents to a .364 mark from the field.

• Len ranks sixth in the ACC in rebounding (9.0 pg) and leads the league with 2.6 blocks per game. Last week, he had a double-double at Northwestern with 13 points and 13 rebounds, and was one rebound shy of another vs. George Mason, finishing with 12 points and 9 boards.

Quick Hitters

• In Maryland’s six-game winning streak, the Terps have assisted on 109 of 165 field goals (66.1 percent)

• A different player led Maryland in scoring in the first five games of the current winning streak. Nick Faust had 12 vs. Morehead State, Seth Allen had 19 vs. LIU Brooklyn, Alex Len had 16 vs. Lafayette, Charles Mitchell had 13 vs. Georgia Southern, and Dez Wells had 23 vs. Northwestern. Wells broke that steak by following up his 23-point perfromance at Northwestern with 25 vs. George Mason.

• The Terps have made more free throws than the opponent has attempted this season (116 to 104).

• At least eight players have scored in six of Maryland’s seven games this year. The exception is vs. George Mason, when just seven players scored.

Super Subs

• Maryland’s bench has been an asset all season, as the Terps’ non-starters have outscored the opponents non-starters in five of seven games (exceptions are Kentucky & George Mason).

• On the year, Maryland’s bench has a 170-92 advantage over the opponent. The biggest advantage Maryland has had this season was against LIU Brooklyn, when the Terps had a 36-0 advantage.

• Seth Allen (6.6 ppg), Charles Mitchell (6.0 ppg), Shaquille Cleare (5.3 ppg) and Logan Aronhalt (4.3 ppg) have been the biggest contributors.

• Aronhalt is the long-range specialist. He hit all four of his 3-point attempts vs. Georgia Southern and made 3 of 5 at Northwestern.

Sophomore Jump

• After averaging 6.0 points and 5.4 rebounds per game as a freshman, Alex Len has developed into Maryland’s most consistent scoring threat as a sophomore. Len is averaging 14.7 points per game, which ranks first in the ACC among centers and ninth overall. His 9.0 rebounds per game rank sixth. Len also leads the league with 2.6 blocks per game. He has two double-doubles this season: against Kentucky (23 & 12) and Northwestern (13 & 13).

More on Assists
• Pe’Shon Howard, who leads the ACC with 6.7 assists per game, would be in some rare company if he stays on his current pace. In the past 25 years, just three players have averaged more than 6.0 assists per game at Maryland: Terrell Stokes in 1998-99, Steve Blake from 1999-2003, and Greivis Vasquez in 2007-08 and 2009-10.

• Maryland’s 28 assists against LIU Brooklyn were nine more than the team’s season-high of 19 last year. In fact, the last time a Maryland team had more assists in a game was in the 2002-03 season, when the Terps had 29 on two occasions. The Terps also had 28 assists in a game on 2/9/11 vs. Longwood and 12/31/05 vs. VMI. The school record for assists in a game is 37.

• Howard’s 13 assists vs. LIU Brooklyn are tied for the fourth-most in a single game by a Terp. The only better performances are: Greivis Vasquez (2008) and Terrell Stokes (1998) with 15; and Steve Blake (2002) and Terrell Stokes (1996) with 14.

Force on the Boards

• Maryland leads the Atlantic Coast Conference and ranks second nationally in rebounding margin at plus-17.0 per game. The only team in the nation with a better margin is Colorado State (plus-17.3).

• The Terps have built advantages on the boards in all seven games this season. Against Northwestern, Maryland built a 47-19 advantage on the boards, the largest margin this season.

• Alex Len and Charles Mitchell are the biggest factors in that; Len averages 9.0 rpg and Mitchell averages 7.0. Len ranks sixth in the conference and Mitchell is tied for 13th, including first among freshmen.

• Len leads the conference with 3.9 offensive rebounds per game, and Mitchell is just outside the top 10 with 2.7 per game. As a team, the Terps are averaging 16.4 offensive rebounds per game, second in the league behind North Carolina (17.0).

• Mitchell made an impressive debut by grabbing 10 rebounds in his first career game, against No. 3 Kentucky. That’s the most rebounds by a Maryland freshman in his debut since Buck Williams had 13 against Bucknell in 1978. Williams went on to lead the ACC in rebounding that year (10.8 pg) en route to capturing ACC Rookie of the Year honors.

Maryland 69, George Mason 62

Head Coach Mark Turgeon

Opening:

“It’s a good win for us. I think George Mason is an excellent team that is going to win a lot of games. They have a great coach. It took us a long time to get used to their quickness. We couldn’t simulate their quickness in practice. We turned the ball over a lot, we actually turned it over the whole game. Nineteen turnovers and 16 missed free throws kept the game close. I thought our defense was outstanding. We did a better job on [Patrick] Holloway in the second half. He hit a 3-pointer late but we did a great job on him. Our defense got better and our rebounding was terrific down the stretch. I thought George Mason played better the first 23 minutes than we did. I thought the last 17 after that timeout we showed a little bit of toughness, enough to win the game.”

On Dez Wells:

“He is a good player. He was a good player coming in. He is feeling more comfortable. A week ago Saturday, against Georgia Southern he was about as bad as he could be. He flipped a switch and got real aggressive. He got some open looks and got eight points right out of the shoot. He had a great week. More importantly I thought he defended well and rebounded better than he had. He is still turning the ball over too much. I told him he is on pace to set a record. He looked at me and said ‘For turnovers?’ and I said ‘Yeah.’”

On playing on the road:

“We went on the road and it wasn’t a really great environment but they had a great crowd at Northwestern. We weathered that and that will help us the next time we go. Than we had this neutral court game against a team that is well-coached and won 24 games last year and have a lot of guys last. They beat Virginia and should have beat New Mexico, which was a heart breaker for them. The game didn’t go the way we wanted it to go today but it will help us. Looking across this sheet we played 10 guys, every one of them played well defensively for us. That is comforting. That didn’t happen 10 days ago. I can look and see that we have really grown up defensively and are really dialed in. as a coach I need to figure out how to stop turning the ball over. Every time out I told our guys if we didn’t have a layup or wide open three to get into our secondary break. We got into it one time. They have to be more coachable. They kept guarding so I put up with a lot of it today.”

On Nick Faust:

“Nick was great tonight. We challenged Nick against [Patrick] Holloway, what a special scorer that kid is. I saw him last year when I was out recruiting and to bring it at this level against us was pretty amazing. Nick had a great week. He was good against Northwestern defensively and he was great in the two practices leading into this game. I anticipated that he was going to play well defensively. That is great growth for him. Nick isn’t caught up in scoring; he is caught up in winning. That took a long time. We are finally there.”

Sophomore Guard Nick Faust

On his dunk that drew cheers:

“It was real big. It was basically all Pe’Shon [Howard]. He saw me coming back door and he locked it up, but once again I ran the floor and got to the open spot.”

On his shot execution:

“It’s early in the season maybe. I’m not really sure. I’m just pushing through. I’m not worried about it. It will start falling as long as I just keep staying in the gym.”

On the defense:

“We’re definitely more together. Everyone is just playing together. You have Alex Len who is blocking shots like crazy, so being a guard, you just send them to the help. Everyone is stronger and attentive in helping one another on defense.”

On game takeaways:

“[We need to] just bring it right from the beginning. We felt like we didn’t have a lot of energy from the beginning of the game, so we tried to pick it up by using whatever we could to get energy and get it going. Overall, I think we did solid as a team. We have things to work on, but we’ll be fine.”

On playing with Dez Wells:

“It’s easy. The last few games Dez has been hitting nonstop, so I have been milking him. I try to do whatever I can and I try to make my plays when I need to. But other than that, having him there to help is helping us as a team and is overall giving me easy points. Dez is doing really well right now and so is the team, so we play off one another.”

On changing his mindset from scoring to winning:

“I’m trying to make the right play and get guys involved. Coach and I sat down and he basically just told me to keep making the right play and sometimes I don’t have the fortune, so lately I have been doing whatever I can to hit guys. I just want to help my team win.”

Sophomore Center Alex Len

On growing defensively:

“I think young guys have learned a lot between two months ago and now. We’re like a totally different team. We played good defense as a team. Helping each other is good for us. Also, rebounding for us is huge. Everyone goes on the boards.”

On running the fast break:

“It took us about eight minutes to start running. I think when we started running, it changed the game.”

Sophomore Guard/Forward Dez Wells:

On starting strong:

“Whatever my team needs from me, that’s what I’m going to provide. I don’t want to make this about myself because I couldn’t have done this without my team. They welcomed me with open arms when I first got here and I couldn’t have done any of this without those guys. My coaches have also done a great job developing my game and helping me and stringing me along with everything that’s happened to me. They have been here like a family. We’re just getting closer every game.”

On relaxing this game:

“I felt more comfortable and that’s because my team and my coaches have been there for me. They continue to back me and stay behind me no matter what and making me feel very comfortable. My hat goes off to those guys.”

- Terps -

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Maryland travels to downtown Washington, D.C., to play in the 18th annual BB&T Classic, benefiting the Children’s Charities Foundation. The Terrapins take on George Mason in the second game of a doubleheader, with George Washington and Manhattan tipping off at 12:15 p.m. in the opener.

Storyline

• Maryland has played in each edition of the BB&T Classic and comes to Verizon Center this year with a 15-11 record all-time in the event. The Terps topped Notre Dame 78-71 last year to snap a two-game losing streak in the BB&T. Since the tournament went to a single-day format in 2004, the Terps are 3-5. Maryland has faced George Mason once in the event, a 78-54 Terrapin win in 2004. All-time, Maryland leads the series with George Mason 7-0.

• Depth, rebounding and an ability to ride the hot hand has helped Maryland win five straight games. Nine players are averaging double-figure minutes, and the Terps lead the ACC with a plus-17.3 rebounding margin per game. In the five-game winning streak, a different player has led the team in scoring in each contest. Most recently, Dez Wells poured in a career-high 23 points to lead Maryland to a 77-57 victory over Northwestern in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.

• Alex Len recorded his second double-double of the year against the Wildcats by grabbing 13 points and 13 rebounds. Len leads the team in scoring (15.2 ppg), rebounding (9.0 rpg) and blocks (2.5 bpg). Pe’Shon Howard, Maryland’s active career leader in assists (199), has been a solid distributor with his 6.8 assists per game leading the league. As a team, Maryland is averaging 18.7 assists per game, which also leads the league. In the five-game winning streak, the Terps have assisted on 95 of 143 field goals (66.4 percent).

Quick Hitters

• A different player has led Maryland in scoring in the last five games. Nick Faust had 12 vs. Morehead State, Seth Allen had 19 vs. LIU Brooklyn, Alex Len had 16 vs. Lafayette, Charles Mitchell had 13 vs. Georgia Southern, and Dez Wells had 23 vs. Northwestern.

• The Terps have made more free throws than the opponent attempted this season (93 to 86). The biggest margins are against Morehead State, when the Terps made 17 and the Eagles attempted 8, and against Lafayette, when Maryland made 22 and Lafayette attempted 7.

• At least eight players have scored in each of the last five games, and at least five players scored in double figures against Lafayette and Georgia Southern.

• Nine players have received at least 10 minutes of playing time for five straight games, and nine players are averaging double-figure minutes.

Super Subs

• Since being outscored by Kentucky’s bench in the season opener, the Maryland bench has outscored its opponents 147-42 over the past five contests. In those four games, the biggest contributors have been Seth Allen (7.2 ppg), Shaquille Cleare (7.0 ppg) and Charles Mitchell (6.8 ppg)

• Logan Aronhalt has found his shooting stroke off the bench recently. He hit all four of his 3-point attempts vs. Georgia Southern and made 3 of 5 at Northwestern.

Sophomore Jump

• After averaging 6.0 points and 5.4 rebounds per game as a freshman, Alex Len has developed into Maryland’s most consistent scoring threat as a sophomore. Len is averaging 15.2 points per game, which ranks first in the ACC among centers and tied for ninth overall. His 9.0 rebounds per game rank fifth. Len also leads the league with 2.5 blocks per game. He has two double-doubles this season: against Kentucky (23 & 12) and Northwestern (13 & 13).

Force on the Boards

• Maryland leads the Atlantic Coast Conference in rebounding margin at plus-17.3 per game, the only school averaging a double-figure margin. North Carolina is second at plus-6.9.

• The Terps have built advantages on the boards in all six games this season. Against Northwestern, Maryland built a 47-19 advantage on the boards, the largest margin this season.
Alex Len and Charles Mitchell are the biggest factors in that; Len averages 9.0 rpg and Mitchell averages 7.2. Len ranks fifth in the conference and Mitchell ranks 12th, including first among freshmen.

• Len leads the conference with 3.8 offensive rebounds per game, and Mitchell is tied for seventh with 3.0 per game. As a team, the Terps are averaging 17.0 offensive rebounds per game, second in the league behind North Carolina (17.7).

• Mitchell made an impressive debut by grabbing 10 rebounds in his first career game, against No. 3 Kentucky. That’s the most rebounds by a Maryland freshman in his debut since Buck Williams had 13 against Bucknell in 1978. Williams went on to lead the ACC in rebounding that year (10.8 pg) en route to capturing ACC Rookie of the Year honors.
Two of the better rebounders in recent memory, Joe Smith and Jordan Williams, didn’t reach double-digit boards until their third and fourth games, respectively.

EVANSTON, Ill. - Maryland hits the road for the first time in the 2012-13 season when it takes on Northwestern as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge Tuesday night in Evanston, Ill. Following a season-opening, 72-69 loss to then-No. 3 Kentucky in the Barclays Center Classic in Brooklyn, N.Y., the Terps have reeled off four straight wins in which they have won by an average margin of 16.3 points per game.

Storyline

• The Terps are 9-4 all-time in the Challenge, though a 71-62 loss to Illinois last season snapped a six-game winning streak in the Challenge. Tuesday will mark the first meeting between Maryland and Northwestern in the Challenge and just the second all-time; the only other meeting was a 66-62 Northwestern win in 1958.

• Depth has been a luxury for Maryland in its first five games, as nine players are averaging double-figure minutes. Five players scored in double figures in each of the last two games, and Alex Len, Nick Faust, Dez Wells and James Padgett are averaging at least 9.0 points per game. Len is Maryland’s most consistent scorer with a 15.6 average that is tied for 10th in the ACC.

• Against Georgia Southern, Charles Mitchell, who has been a force on the boards, recorded his first career double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Mitchell (7.8 rpg) and Len (8.2 rpg) have led Maryland to a plus-15.2 rebound margin that is the best in the conference. No other team is outrebounding the opponent by a double-figure margin.

• Pe’Shon Howard, Maryland’s active career leader in assists (193), has been a solid distributor with his 7.0 assists per game leading the league. As a team, Maryland is averaging 19.4 assists per game, which also leads the league. In the four-game winning streak, the Terps have assisted on 80 of 114 field goals (70.2 percent).

Quick Hitters

• The Terps have made more free throws than the opponent attempted this season (79 to 64). The biggest margins are against Morehead State, when the Terps made 17 and the Eagles attempted 8, and against Lafayette, when Maryland made 22 and Lafayette attempted 7.

• At least nine players have scored in each of the last four games, and at least five players have scored in double figures in each of the last two games.

• Nine players have received at least 10 minutes of playing time for four straight games, and nine players are averaging double-figure minutes.

• Maryland’s 22-point margin of victory over Morehead State matched its largest in all of last season (vs. Samford).

Super Subs

• Since being outscored by Kentucky’s bench in the season opener, the Maryland bench has outscored its opponents 124-35 over the past four contests. In those four games, the biggest contributors have been Seth Allen (8.3 ppg), Charles Mitchell (7.3 ppg) and Shaquille Cleare (7.3 ppg).

• Most recently, Mitchell added 13 off the bench, Logan Aronhalt had 12 on 4-of-4 3-point shooting, and Cleare had 10 vs. Georgia Southern.

Low Post Threat

• After averaging 6.0 points and 5.4 rebounds per game as a freshman, Alex Len has developed into Maryland’s most consistent scoring threat as a sophomore. Len is averaging 15.6 points per game, which ranks first in the ACC among centers and tied for 10th overall. His 8.2 rebounds per game rank ninth. Len also leads the league with 2.6 blocks per game.

Force on the Boards

• Maryland leads the Atlantic Coast Conference in rebounding margin at plus-15.2 per game, the only school averaging a double-figure margin. North Carolina is second at plus-9.2.

• The Terps have built advantages on the boards in all five games this season. Maryland outrebounded Kentucky 54-38, a plus-16 margin that marks the schools best performance against a ranked team since outrebounding No. 10 Wake Forest by a plus-20 margin on Feb. 17, 2003.

• Their largest margin on the boards was plus-24 vs. Georgia Southern (49-25). Alex Len and Charles Mitchell are the biggest factors in that; Len averages 8.2 rpg and Mitchell averages 7.8.

• Len ranks fourth in the conference with 3.4 offensive rebounds per game, and Mitchell is tied for sixth with 3.2 per game. As a team, the Terps are averaging 18.0 offensive rebounds per game, second in the league behind North Carolina (18.3).

• Mitchell made an impressive debut by grabbing 10 rebounds in his first career game, against No. 3 Kentucky. That’s the most rebounds by a Maryland freshman in his debut since Buck Williams had 13 against Bucknell in 1978. Williams went on to lead the ACC in rebounding that year (10.8 pg) en route to capturing ACC Rookie of the Year honors.

• Two of the better rebounders in recent memory, Joe Smith and Jordan Williams, didn’t reach double-digit boards until their third and fourth games, respectively.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Coming off back-to-back double-digit wins, Maryland continues its November homestand as Lafayette visits Comcast Center Tuesday evening. The Terps had their most offensively efficient game of the young season last Friday against LIU Brooklyn, shooting 56.5 percent from the floor while recording 28 assists on 35 field goals.

Storyline

• In the 91-74 win over LIU Brooklyn, Maryland again showed off its depth on the way to a double-figure win. For the second game in a row, nine players received at least 10 minutes of action. Seth Allen had a team-high 19 points, Alex Len had 18 and Dez Wells had 15. Pe’Shon Howard dished out 13 assists, the most by a Terp since Greivis Vasquez on Feb. 24, 2010. That’s just two shy of the Maryland single-game record of 15 (Greivis Vasquez vs. NC State, 2/9/08, Terrell Stokes vs. Western Carolina, 11/14/98).

• Len, Allen and Wells are all averaging double-figure scoring through three games. Len leads the way at 17.3 points per game and also has 11 blocks. Allen found his long-range shooting touch against LIU Brooklyn by connecting on 5 of 6 3-pointers and 7 of 10 field goals, while also adding four assists. Wells had somewhat of a breakout game against the Blackbirds, filling up his stat line with 15 points, eight rebounds, five assists, three blocks and two steals in a team-high 33 minutes.

• With his 19 points, Allen was a big part of Maryland’s bench outscoring LIU Brooklyn’s 36-0. All five players that came off the bench contributed: Shaquille Cleare had 8, Jake Layman had 4, Logan Aronhalt had 3 and Charles Mitchell had 2. Since being outscored by Kentucky’s bench in the season opener, the Maryland bench has outscored its opponents 63-13 over the past two contests.

On Maryland’s Assists vs. LIU Brooklyn

• Maryland’s 28 assists against LIU Brooklyn were nine more than the team’s season-high of 19 last year. In fact, the last time a Maryland team had more assists in a game was in the 2002-03 season, when the Terps had 29 on two occasions. The Terps also had 28 assists in a game on 2/9/11 vs. Longwood and 12/31/05 vs. VMI. The school record for assists in a game is 37.

• Pe’Shon Howard’s 13 assists are tied for the fourth-most in a single game by a Terp. The only better performances are: Greivis Vasquez (2008) and Terrell Stokes (1998) with 15; and Steve Blake (2002) and Terrell Stokes (1996) with 14.

Quick Hitters

• Maryland’s 22-point margin of victory over Morehead State matched its largest in all of last season (vs. Samford).

• Maryland is outscoring its opponents by an average of 15.7 points per game when Alex Len is on the floor (plus-6 vs. Kentucky, plus-23 vs. Morehead State, plus-18 vs. LIU Brooklyn). Pe’Shon Howard is next highest at plus-12.3 (Howard was a season-high plus-24 against LIU Brooklyn).

• The Terps have made as many or more free throws than the opponent attempted in the last two games. Against Morehead State, the Terps made 17 and the Eagles attempted 8. Against LIU Brooklyn, Maryland made 13 and the Blackbirds attempted 13.

• The Terps showed off their depth against Morehead State - Alex Len logged the most minutes of any player with 24, and 10 players saw at least 13 minutes. That helped enable a strong defensive effort that held Morehead State to 31.7 percent shooting and just 7.1 percent from 3-point.

• In each of the last two games, each player in Maryland’s 10-man rotation has scored. Against LIU Brooklyn, all 10 players also had at least one rebound.

Dodd, Peters Sign with Maryland

247Sports.com ranks Maryland’s class 21st nationally

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The University of Maryland basketball program furthered its success on the recruiting trail as head coach Mark Turgeon on Wednesday announced the signings of Roddy Peters and Damonte Dodd to National Letters of Intent.

Peters, a 6-foot-4 guard from Suitland, Md., and Dodd, a 6-foot-9 center from Centreville, Md., give the Terrapins the 21st-best 2013 class nationally according to 247Sports.com.

Peters committed to Maryland last month, while Dodd committed in February before electing to attend prep school at Massanutten Military Academy (Woodstock, Va.) this season. Peters is one of the top point guards nationally, having averaged 25 points and seven assists a game as a junior at Suitland High School. As a senior at Queen Anne’s County High last year, Dodd averaged 24 points, 16 rebounds and seven blocks a game.

DAMONTE DODD (6-9, 240, C, Centreville, Md.)

A three-star prospect and the 12th-ranked center nationally by 247sports.com … a four-star prospect, the No. 99-ranked player overall and the No. 13 center by Scout.com … ranked as the best shot blocker to sign in the ACC by Scout.com … committed to Maryland in February and is attending Massanutten Military Academy this season … averaged 24 points, 16 rebounds and seven blocks as a senior (2011-12) at Queen Anne’s County High … tallied 41 points, 21 rebounds and seven blocks in an overtime victory over Kent County during his senior year … played AAU for the DC Assault under former Washington Wizards head coach Eddie Jordan last summer.

Turgeon on Dodd: “Damonte will be fun to coach and he really has big upside. He plays extremely hard and he strives to get better every day. He’s almost 6-foot-10 and still growing. He runs, rebounds, and blocks shots, and his best years on the basketball court are ahead of him.  He fits the mold of who we recruit as an unselfish and good kid.”

Damonte Dodd: When the coaching staff came to see me play, I was just very excited. With Maryland being so close to home and so many people from my family, friends and high school coaches wanting me to go to Maryland, it was an easy decision. I like to make people happy so that weighed into my decision, but most of all I knew Maryland was the right place for me.

“The coaching staff is like a family and they really look after their guys. Ultimately, everyone wants to make it to the NBA but they really emphasized getting your education, and that’s something that’s very important to me. You never know what happens, so my education is my first priority and the University of Maryland is a great school.”

Dale Becraft, Queen Anne’s County High Head Coach: “Damonte made a steady progression through four years but the biggest progression occurred between his junior and senior years. He really got serious and hit the weight room hard, and really started working on his game and started playing more on his own time. Last year he made a quantum leap, it was really just astronomical. Just following him over the summer through the AAU circuits he’s continued to grow tremendously.

“He has tremendous timing in the post. He set a school record two years in a row for blocked shots and rebounds. He rebounds well and blocks a lot of shots. He intimidates people; even when he’s not blocking shots he’s able to alter them and just take people out of their normal rhythm. Plus he has a tremendous wingspan and I think his best basketball is ahead of him.

“Last year Scott Spinelli came down and saw him, then Mark [Turgeon] came down and saw him and they had him up several times. He just really fell in love with the family environment. He kept talking about how much it was like family and how he was included whenever he went on a visit. He was sold on Maryland from the get-go.”

Chad Myers, Massanutten Military Academy Head Coach: “First off, he’s an unbelievably good kid. I think he’s a got a chance to be really, really good. He’s got great upside, a great motor. He’s long and athletic. We try to work with those guys at Maryland and our idea here is when you leave here, hopefully, you are ready to go play at the next level. He’s bought into that and he works every day. He’s very in tune to what Maryland is doing. He’s always asking me if I saw the Maryland game and talking about the guys. He’s excited and I think he’ll be able to help right away. His ratings went up last summer, but I think he still may be a little underrated. His ceiling is very, very high.”

“Right now, his strength is really being able to run the floor. He’s rebounding well. He’s very active and he’s starting to do a pretty good job of sealing and catching the ball around the basket, around the post. But I would tell you right now, it would be his motor and his ability to run the floor.”

“I think the biggest reason he chose Maryland is what Coach Turgeon is doing with the program and Coach Spinelli doing a great job recruiting him. Once he went there, met those guys and felt that way about them, I think it was a no-brainer because he liked the idea of playing at Maryland and being close to home. The staff with having such a good relationship with them, there wasn’t a better option for him.”

Evan Daniels, Scout.com National Analyst: “There’s a lot to like about Damonte Dodd. He has a big, strong body, is active on the defensive end and will lock down rebounds in his area. He’s a post prospect with some nice upside and should continue to get better with another year of high school under his belt. This is a nice pick up for Maryland and someone that can help them in the post down the road.”

RODDY PETERS (6-4, 190, PG, Suitland, Md.)

A five-star prospect, the 19th-ranked player overall and the third-ranked point guard by 247Sports.com … a four-star prospect and the 11th-ranked point guard by Scout.com … a four-star prospect, the No. 45-ranked player overall and the No. 8-ranked point guard by ESPN.com … averaged 25 points and seven assists a game as a junior (2011-12) … chose Maryland over offers from UCLA, Illinois, Rutgers and Xavier … played AAU for the DC Assault under former Washington Wizards head coach Eddie Jordan last summer.

Turgeon on Peters: “Roddy is a great kid and comes from a great family. He’s a great example of us trying to keep the best local players home at Maryland. Roddy loves Maryland and we recruit that – kids that love it here and really want to be here. He has excellent court vision, a great feel for the game and his length at his position is a great asset. He’s an unselfish basketball player that is all about winning.”

Roddy Peters: “I really liked the coaching staff and I’m looking forward to playing and learning from Coach [Mark] Turgeon. Coach [Dalonte] Hill and I really bonded during this process.

The Terps practice and work hard; they are very disciplined on the court and I feel it will be a great fit.

“Maryland basketball has great history and a rich tradition. I loved watching Steve Francis, Juan Dixon and Greivis Vasquez play. I am just excited to have the opportunity to continue playing basketball at the University of Maryland.”

George McClure, Suitland High School Basketball Coach: “Roddy is a loyal young man who could have left public high school and attended a prep school – but he wanted to play at Suitland with his teammates. He understands the importance of getting an outstanding education and he will do well academically. Roddy is the best high school player that I have seen in the open court – not just the best player that I have coached in the open court – but that I have watched play. His skill-set will be unique to Maryland and will be a benefit when he is in the open court.

“The first time I met Roddy he shared with me that he was always a fan of Maryland.  He loved the 2002 NCAA Championship teams with Juan Dixon. Once his game developed, he knew in his heart that if he was fortunate enough to receive an offer from Maryland he would jump at the opportunity. His heart has always been with Maryland.

“Roddy developed a bond with Coach [Dalonte] Hill. He also had a good relationship with Coach [Mark] Turgeon. He felt very comfortable and that was the final piece that pulled it all together and helped make his decision. That was the icing on the cake.”

Paul Biancardi, ESPN.com National Recruiting Director: “He’s clever, he’s smart, he can beat guys off the dribble. He’s more of a combo guard right now. He’s got size on the perimeter. Roddy Peters can do a lot of things well. When you get a point guard with size, speed and clever with the ball, he’s going to help Maryland a lot.”

- Terps -