Pharrel Payne’s return to the Xfinity Center hardware could not have gone any better. After suffering a season-ending injury on the same court 309 days prior, Payne didn’t skip a beat in Maryland men’s basketball’s second exhibition game against West Virginia.
The star big man totaled the Terps’ first six points in the second half, hoping to will his team back from a 15-point halftime deficit. He did just that, as Payne was Maryland’s offense for large portions Sunday.
Payne poured in 26 points and added a game-high 13 rebounds. The Terps’ returners, also fueled by Andre Mills’ 27-point performance, led Maryland to a 90-81 overtime victory over West Virginia.
Even despite Payne’s effort, the Mountaineers didn’t go away. They clawed back to tie the game at 75 with 12 seconds remaining. After the timeout, Mills got downhill but was met at the rim. West Virginia couldn’t convert on their final attempt of regulation.
But Mills continued to shine in overtime, scoring six points to help the Terps pull away. His effort in the extra period followed Payne’s takeover.
Payne dominated the paint in the second half. He collected four early points from under the rim to start Maryland’s comeback. The redshirt senior totaled 10 points during the Terps’ 18-4 run in the opening six minutes of the second half, with Mills adding six.
The Terps, who struggled to get stops in the first half, frequently looked to get out in transition. West Virginia had no answers, struggling to generate any offense itself.
While Maryland’s defensive effort was drastically improved — it allowed the Mountaineers to only score 12 points in the 13-minute span to start the second half — the ball movement was noticeably different. Extra passes helped locate Mike McNair Jr. for a pair of 3-pointers in just 44 seconds to give the Terps a 59-56 lead at the 9:53 mark.
McNair, who was fifth in the country last season with a 44.35% 3-point percentage, has been lethal from deep in the two exhibition games. He was a perfect 3-for-3 against Georgia Tech, and he nailed three 3-pointers and scored 15 total points against West Virginia.
After holding Georgia Tech to just 7-for-29 from the field in the first half, Maryland’s defense started strong Sunday.
The Terps limited West Virginia to just two points in the opening four minutes. Tomislav Buljan, marking his unofficial Maryland debut after missing the first exhibition game, created the team’s first steal. Mills converted the easy bucket on the other end to give the Terps a 8-2 lead.
But once Maryland made its first subs, the early advantage quickly disappeared. The Mountaineers went on a 7-0 run, capitalizing on a pair of Terps’ turnovers and a second-chance bucket.
Payne halted the momentum with a layup in transition. The redshirt senior took over Maryland’s offense from there. He poured in a team-high nine first-half points and collected five rebounds to help jolt a Terps offense that struggled. His inability to convert free throws remained, though — he shot 45% from the line.
While the returning Payne was Maryland’s leading scorer on Sunday, West Virginia got its offense via a transfer portal addition. Finley Bizjack, who averaged 17.1 points per game at Butler last season, connected on four 3-pointers without a miss.
Behind Bizjack and Miles Sadler, the Mountaineers opened up a 30-18 lead with eight minutes remaining in the first half.
Maryland later got within single-digits after Mills took it coast-to-coast for a transition bucket. But Martin Sommerville didn’t let the Terps get any closer, scoring 11 consecutive West Virginia points. That left Maryland trailing 46-31 at halftime.
But Payne and Mills did all they could in the second half to will Maryland back into the game and over the hump in overtime.
Three things to know
1. Maryland’s defense looked lost in the first half. While West Virginia could not miss, the Terps didn’t help themselves either. They allowed eight offensive rebounds and committed nine turnovers, leading to 25 points. West Virginia’s press also caused Maryland problems, helping it connect on 47.1% of its first-half 3-pointers.
2. Limited bench contributions. The dropoff between the Terps’ starters and the bench players was noticeable Sunday. Kaden House, who had 14 points against Georgia Tech, had the sole first-half bench points. Without Bishop Boswell, Maryland’s second unit couldn’t run its offense. Just two players scored, with the starters combining for 75 points.
3. Second half takeover. After shooting just 37.9% from the field in the first half, the Terps found their groove in the final 20 minutes of regulation. They drained 5-of-9 3-point attempts and hit 41.% of their shots from the floor. Fifteen second-chance points on 14 offensive rebounds added to Maryland’s offensive success.