David Coit had 19 points and four 3-pointers, Isaiah Watts had 18 points and three treys, and the Maryland Terrapins celebrated coach Buzz Williams’ return to Marquette with a 89-82 victory over the Golden Eagles on Saturday in Milwaukee.
Pharrell Payne, the Terps’ leading scorer at 20.0 points per game, had 13 points before leaving the game with an apparent leg injury with 12:16 remaining, when his feet went out from under him after a dunk. He was stretchered off the court in obvious pain.
Maryland (3-1) took control from that point, beginning with a 30-13 run for a 12-point lead. Watts had nine points and two 3-pointers in that stretch.
Marquette closed to 83-78 on Ben Gold’s 3-pointer with 26.8 seconds remaining, but Watts, Darius Adams and Andre Mills hit two free throws apiece to seal the victory.
Chase Ross scored a career-high 31 points and tied a career high with four 3-pointers for the Golden Eagles (3-2).
Gold also had four 3-pointers to go with 18 points and eight rebounds and Zaide Lowery had 14 points and eight rebounds for the Golden Eagles, who dominated the glass but could not overcome a 36.8 shooting percentage.
Marquette had a 44-35 rebounding edge and turned 20 offensive rebounds into 25 second-chance points. The Terps had six second-chance points.
Williams, in his first season at Maryland, was 139-69 in six seasons (2008-14) at Marquette. He led Golden Eagles to five NCAA tournaments, including three trips to the Sweet 16 and once winning in that round to the Elite Eight.
Adams added 16 points, Mills had 11, and Elijah Saunders had eight points and 11 rebounds.
Marquette missed 16 of 18 field goals after Gold’s 3-pointer gave them a 61-55 lead with 11:43 left during the Terrapins’ game-changing run.
The Terps shot 52.7 percent. Payne, a senior who followed Williams from Texas A&M this season, was 6 of 6 from the field. Watt was 5 of 6.
The Terps avenged a 78-74 loss in the home-and home series with a victory exactly one year later.
–Field Level Media
