Listen to play-by-play of the matchup between St. Francis and Maryland at Xfinity Center in College Park, Maryland with pre-game at 6:30 p.m. ET on 105.7 The Fan! (no streaming)
When: 7:00 PM ET, Friday, December 4, 2015
Where: Xfinity Center, College Park, Maryland
TV: 7 p.m. ET, BTN
RADIO: 7 p.m. ET, 105.7 The Fan Baltimore
By SportsDirect Inc.
Second-ranked Maryland looks to begin a new winning streak Friday when the Terrapins host St. Francis (Pa.), three days after suffering their first loss of the season in an 89-81 defeat to No. 9 North Carolina that left coach Mark Turgeon proud of his team's effort. "You never feel good after a loss, but I love the way we battled," Turgeon told reporters after Maryland battled back from an eight-point second half deficit in a matchup of teams with Final Four aspirations.
Turgeon noted Maryland ran out of steam down the stretch against the Tar Heels, missing eight of their final 10 shots. Big Ten preseason player of the year Melo Trimble has lived up to expectations, averaging 16 points and 5.6 assists, while transfer Rasheed Sulaimon is shooting 51.5 percent from 3-point range. The Terrapins have five games remaining before opening Big Ten play, starting with a Red Flash team that already has faced one ranked team this season, falling 87-56 at Notre Dame in the season opener. "It's always a good opportunity to play a team as talented as Maryland," St. Francis forward Ronnie Drinnon said after Wednesday's 84-73 victory over Lehigh.
ABOUT ST. FRANCIS (3-3): The Red Flash snapped a two-game losing streak with the victory over Lehigh, placing five players in double figures scoring, but offense has been a problem in the first month of the season. St. Francis is shooting just 40.9 percent from the field and has scored 60 points or less three times. Senior guard Ben Millaud-Meunier averages a team-high 13.5 points and is shooting 14-of-46 from 3-point range.
ABOUT MARYLAND (6-1): The Terrapins are one of the top-shooting teams in the country, hitting 52.8 percent of its attempts from the field (fourth nationally). Trimble is an outstanding player (recording a career-high 12 assists to go with 23 points against North Carolina), teaming with Sulaimon to form one of the nation's better backcourts. Forwards Robert Carter and Jake Layman are averaging a combined 23.3 points and 12.4 rebounds.
TIP-INS
1. Carter leads the Big Ten in field-goal percentage (61.4 percent) and has scored in double figures in all seven games this season.
2. Maryland has allowed its last two opponents (Cleveland State, North Carolina) to shoot 52 percent or better from the field.
3. The Terrapins committed a season-high 22 turnovers Tuesday, leading to 21 North Carolina points.
PREDICTION: Maryland 87, St. Francis 63