The 4th-ranked Maryland Terrapins were rescued by a freshman-record 39 points from Diamond Stone, which allowed them to escape the jaws of the Penn State Nittany Lions and win 70-64, before a packed and ecstatic crowd at Xfinity Center.
The Terrapins opened Big Ten play with an unexpected nail biter and it was Stone, who scored seven of Maryland’s final 10 points on his way to smashing the previous freshman record of 33 points held by Maryland legend Joe Smith in 1993, leading the team down the stretch.
He was also just six points shy of breaking the school record of 44 points accomplished by Ernie Graham in 1978 against N.C. State.
The Terps, who were either hot or cold for stretches in the game, found themselves down 58-45 late in the second half but didn’t panic as they were slowed down by the Nittany Lion’s zone defense.
Instead Maryland battled back, going on a 15-2 run and tying the game at 60-60 on a Melo Trimble three-pointer with 3:12 to go.
From there, Stone, who also had a team-high 12 rebounds, took over. His layup tied the score at 62-62 and his two free throws gave Maryland the lead at 64-62.
Two more Stone free throws gave Maryland a 66-62 lead with 1:22 to go.
Penn State then scored on a driving layup to make the score 66-64.
Trimble then found Robert Carter Jr. for the game-clinching three-pointer, making the score 69-64 with 31 seconds to go in the contest. Stone scored Maryland’s final point to make the score 70-64 with 19 seconds to play.
After senior Jake Layman ( eight points ) blocked the Nittany Lion’s final shot, Rasheed Sulaimon got the ball and was able to dribble out the clock.
From there the Terps were able to avoid an upset loss while the game revealed just how dynamic Stone, playing in his first Big Ten game, can be.
How good was Stone? He scored 32 of Maryland’s 47 second half points. He set the scoring record without starting, entering the game around the 16 minute mark of the first half. Stone, who did start the second half, had been averaging 11 points per game.
He was 10-15 from the field and 19-25 from the free throw line. He also set school records for most made and attempted free throws. The Nittany Lions had no answer for him in the post.
Carter scored 11 points and collected nine rebounds. Trimble, who had an off night from the floor going 3-15 from the field, chipped in with 10 points, a team-high six assists and two steals.
He also displayed poise despite struggling from the field. It was his game-tying three pointer, when everyone else was missing from long distance, that shifted the momentum in Maryland’s favor and evened the score at 60-60.
The Terps finished an uncharacteristic 5 for 21 from long distance and usually reliable sharpshooter Jared Nickens was 0-5 from beyond the arc.
The Terps won despite enduring their worst shooting half of the season, going 6 for 24 from the field. The cold shooting resulted in their lowest point total in a half this season as they trailed 31-23 at the break.
Maryland ended up shooting 33.3 percent from the field for the game. This from a team that was shooting over 50 percent, good for third-best in the nation and averaging 80 points per game.
In the beginning of the second half the Nittany Lions opened up a 10 point lead at 33-23 with 19:38 to play in the game. From there Maryland made one of their many runs, and a layup by Stone tied the game at 33-33 with 17:36 to go.
Penn State continued to play hard and regained the lead going on their own 25-12 run and leading 58-45 with 6:34 to go.
Fortunately for Maryland fans, the Terps has one last run in them, and fueled by their five-star freshman sensation Stone, who scored nine of the Terps next 15 points during the late 15-2 surge that allowed them to tie the game.
All of that set up the exciting finish as the Terps improved their record to (12-1, 1-0 Big Ten).
Maryland shook off a poor first half by out scoring Penn State 47-33 in the second half. They also won the rebounding battle 41-31.
The Terrapins was 27 for 38 from the free throw line while the Nittany Lions were 13 for 16 from the charity stripe.
Penn State was led in scoring by Shep Garner who had 17 points. Brandon Taylor chipped in with 15 points and a team high 10 rebounds. Payton Banks added 12 points and eight rebounds in a losing effort for the (9-5, 0-1) Nittany Lions.
