After falling short in its first test of the young season, Maryland will aim to bounce back on Tuesday night when it hosts a winless Canisius squad in College Park, Md.
The Terrapins (3-1) opened the campaign with three 30-point victories against light opponents before falling 78-74 at home to No. 15 Marquette on Friday.
Coach Kevin Willard’s team played the Golden Eagles tough but faltered when it mattered most.
After scoring five points in seven seconds to pull within 76-74 in the final minute, Maryland squandered two chances to tie the game. The Terrapins first came up empty after getting a steal before DeShawn Harris-Smith missed two free throws with 15 seconds left.
It was a wasted opportunity for Harris-Smith to partly atone for his offensive struggles so far at Maryland, but Willard still trusts his sophomore guard.
“I have confidence in him. He was out there for a reason,” Willard said. “That’s part of sports. You don’t make every game-winning shot. … You have to learn from it, get back in the gym and just be a big boy.”
Harris-Smith, who shot just 36.8 percent overall as a freshman, has improved to 47.6 percent so far this season. He is averaging 6.0 points per game, while freshman Derik Queen and Belmont transfer Ja’Kobi Gillespie share the team lead with 16.3 points per game.
The Terrapins may not face as many high-leverage moments against the Golden Griffins, who dropped to 0-5 after Sunday’s 92-69 loss at Western Michigan. The Broncos shot 63.3 percent (38 of 60) overall and outscored Canisius 54-24 in the paint.
Sunday’s defensive performance frustrated Golden Griffins coach Jim Christian, particularly because he liked the looks his offense generated despite finishing 35.9 percent floor (23 of 64) from the floor.
Christian said playing complementary basketball has been a key struggle amid the team’s slow start.
“We keep fixing one area, one area improves and the other area drops off,” he said. “We haven’t found any continuity to compete.”
Guards Paul McMillan IV (22.4 points per game) and Tana Kopa (14.2 points per game) are Canisius’ top two scorers and 3-point shooters. McMillan has hit 11 of 23 (47.8 percent) from distance, while Kopa has drilled 18 of 40 (45 percent).
