La Salle @ Maryland preview
Xfinity Center
As things currently stand in this uncertain season, La Salle's game at Maryland on Tuesday night is the last scheduled nonconference contest for both teams.
The Explorers (3-4) have won three of their last four games after an 0-3 start but are just 1-2 on the road heading into their trip to College Park, Md.
Maryland (4-2) will have had eight days off since falling 74-60 to then-No. 19 Rutgers, which dealt the Terrapins their second straight loss. After Maryland shot 40 percent (20 of 50) and scored a season-low in a 67-51 loss at Clemson, the Terps could muster just 34.4 percent (21 of 61) shooting in the home loss to the Scarlet Knights in their Big Ten opener.
Terrapin coach Mark Turgeon thought his team missed a lot of open shots but also got out-toughed by Rutgers.
"After a game like that, we kind of want to get back out there and play some," he added. "But I think the eight days, it's finals, it's the guys' time to lock in academically and get some of those things done. I'm pretty sure it'll be the coaches' time to get ready for practice and us just clearing our minds mentally and get ready for another team."
La Salle bounced back from an Atlantic 10 Conference loss against Massachusetts with a 71-61 home win in over Delaware on Saturday. David Beatty had a season-high 18 points and Sherif Kenney added 16 off the bench.
Massachusetts' convincing 85-66 victory on Dec. 16 over La Salle stuck with coach Ash Howard, especially because the Explorers couldn't find their way during the Minutemen's decisive, 29-11 second-half run.
"I'm disappointed in that, but we'll get better," Howard said. "We'll learn from it. We have a lot of basketball to be played. This is about our journey of continuing to get better and be the best team we can be by the end of the year. This is part of that process for us."
Donta Scott has been a bright spot this season for Maryland, as he is second on the team in scoring with 13 points per game and first with 7.2 rebounds per game. Eric Ayala averages a team-high 13.2 points per game and Hakim Hart, who averages 10.2 points per game, is the only other Terrapin who averages double figures in scoring.
Following La Salle, the Terrapins will only compete in Big Ten play, beginning with a trip to Purdue on Christmas Day. The Explorers return to conference play at Dayton on Dec. 30.
--Field Level Media