The Maryland Terrapins entered winners territory Sunday after going against the Penn State Nittany Lions, ending the game 96-73 with a dominant performance from Diggy Coit.
As both teams entered the court with a 0-6 conference record, the stakes were high, but the Terps set an energetic tone for the game. After a four-game losing streak, Maryland flipped the script and showed everyone that they can compete in the Big Ten.
The Terps started with their foot on the gas, gaining an early lead and solidifying their dominance on the court. As the clock trickled down, it was clear that the arena was going to witness Maryland’s Diggy Coit have a fiery game.
Not only did he get the first points on the board, but created plays for his teammates to score early as well. The score was 56-26 by the end of the half with Coit producing the majority of those points and leaving the first half with 30 on the board.
Coit was a key piece for the Terps offense today, shooting 9-15 from deep and getting those tough shots in the paint as well. The senior ended Sunday with a career high 43-points and was one point shy from beating a school record.
Maryland shot 11-of-17 in the first half and finished with a season-high of 18 three-pointers after their victory, which were the most in program history.
“He has video game tendencies,” head coach Buzz Williams said about Coit. “He can gain space, and his ability to make shots, particularly off the dribble, is rare. We needed what he did today.”
After Maryland’s matchup against USC, this is Coit’s second consecutive time scoring 30+ points which hasn’t been done since 2006.
“I felt hot going into the game,” Coit said. “I felt the momentum from the team, and seeing a couple shots go in, they were telling me ‘they can’t guard you, be aggressive’. My team always gives me that confidence.”
Maryland still has a long road ahead of them with 13 games left in the season, but Sunday showed the potential they have to be a Big Ten contender.
The Terps will now turn their attention to a road game to face No. 13 Illinois on Jan. 21. Tipoff is set for 7 PM and will air on BTN and the Maryland Sports Radio Network.