[Baltimore Sun] Derik Queen’s historic debut lifts Maryland men’s basketball past Manhattan
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COLLEGE PARK — If the first game of his college basketball career is any indication, Derik Queen might have an easy time fitting in.
Queen, a freshman center who grew up in Baltimore and is the second-highest-rated recruit in Maryland history, amassed team highs in both points and rebounds in his debut, and the Terps pulled away from visiting Manhattan in the second half to cruise to a 79-49 victory Monday night before an announced crowd of 13,152 at Xfinity Center.
The 6-foot-10, 245-pound Queen, who lived up to his billing as a five-star recruit, finished with 22 points and 20 rebounds (including six on the offensive glass) and had the first double-double of his career by halftime when he accumulated 11 points and 12 rebounds. By game’s end, he converted 60% of his shots (9 of 15), drained 80% of his free throws (4 of 5), and added one assist, one steal and one block.
Queen’s 20 rebounds are the most by a Maryland player since Joe Smith grabbed 21 boards in an 82-68 win against Texas in an NCAA Tournament second-round game on March 18, 1995. Smith scored 31 points in that game, which was the last time a Maryland player went for 20 points and 20 rebounds in a contest. Queen is the first freshman in the country to have a 20-20 game since Memphis’ Jalen Duren had 21 points and 20 rebounds on March 11, 2022.
The Terps extended their winning streak in home openers to 48 straight. They have not lost an opener at home since Nov. 27, 1976, an 80-79 overtime setback to Notre Dame.
Queen was part of Maryland’s starting five, and fans did not have to wait long to see his potential. He scored the team’s first four points on a two-handed dunk and a putback after corralling an offensive rebound.
When the Terps (1-0) embarked on a 16-5 run to extend a 36-32 lead into a 52-37 advantage early in the second half, Queen scored the first seven points of that spurt. After he dropped in a layup and drew a foul for an and-1 opportunity, Queen was serenaded by students, who chanted “DER-IK QUEEN.” He converted the ensuing free throw.
In addition to Queen, junior point guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie, a transfer from Belmont, contributed 16 points, five assists and three rebounds. Sophomore shooting guard Rodney Rice, a transfer from Virginia Tech, came off the bench to score 12 points, and senior power forward Julian Reese, a Randallstown native and St. Frances graduate, totaled nine points, five rebounds, two blocks and one steal.
Queen’s performance overshadowed a lethargic start by Maryland, which owned just a 3-point lead at halftime and looked rusty from the floor in the first half. The Terps shot 36.7% (11 of 30) overall and 18.2% (2 of 11) from 3-point range — an issue that might look all too familiar to fans who were forced to endure the program’s struggles from deep last winter.
Gillespie, who converted 38.7% of his 3-point attempts last season at Belmont, went 0 of 3 from that distance in the first half. And fifth-year senior small forward Selton Miguel (South Florida) and Rice each missed two shots behind the line.
After the score was tied at 7 early in the first half, Maryland scored nine straight points over a 3:06 stretch to assume a 16-7 advantage. The run was capped by 6-9, 215-pound junior forward Tafara Gapare sinking a 3-pointer — the team’s first of the season.
But Manhattan responded with a 10-1 spurt over a 3:59 span. And even though the Terps extended the lead to five twice, the Jaspers refused to go away. Maryland needed a layup from Gillespie at the buzzer to take a 31-28 lead into halftime.
Senior point guard Shaquil Bender paced the Jaspers (0-1) with 12 points, six rebounds and three assists. Redshirt sophomore point guard Devin Dinkins came off the bench to chip in 10 points and two rebounds.
This article will be updated. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13.
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