Associated Press, December 7, 2017
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) Michal Cekovsky made every shot he took, scoring 15 points to go with eight rebounds, and Maryland breezed past Ohio 87-62 Thursday night.
[btn-post-package-v2]
Cekovsky went 6 for 6 from floor and sank all three of his free throws. The 7-foot-1 sophomore from Slovakia was pulled with 7:22 left and finished one point short of his career high.
Kevin Huerter scored 17 points for Maryland (8-3), and Anthony Cowan Jr. contributed 12 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
Coming off three straight tough games – narrow losses to Syracuse and Purdue, followed by an overtime victory at Illinois – the Terrapins never trailed.
The victory was marred by an injury to 6-10 freshman forward Bruno Fernando, who sprained his right ankle with 11:21 remaining and was helped off the court.
Mike Laster scored 14 for the Bobcats (4-4). Ohio, a member of the Mid-American Conference, previously lost to Clemson, Dayton and Iona.
Maryland sophomore forward Justin Jackson missed part of Wednesday's practice with an illness and was absent from the starting lineup for only the fourth time in 43 games. He played 19 minutes and scored 10 points.
The Terps made their first five shots and got six points from Cekovsky in grabbing to a 15-2 lead. Maryland then missed six of nine attempts before Jackson peeled off nine straight points to make it 30-14.
Huerter had only six points in the first half, which ended with Maryland up 41-28. The sophomore guard scored eight points in the first eight minutes after halftime, including a soft jump shot that made it 51-31 with 16:55 left.
BOARD DOMINANCE
With Cekovsky and Cowan leading the way, the taller Terrapins finished with a 49-29 rebounding advantage.
Huerter collected six rebounds, as did Fernando.
BIG PICTURE
Ohio: The Bobcats had no trouble against two other teams from Maryland, defeating Mount St. Mary's and Coppin State with ease. Though Ohio defeated Maryland in 2007, this time it was no match for the state's biggest university and its only Power 5 team.
Maryland: After blowing a 22-point lead at Illinois, the Terrapins got off to a quick start against Ohio and stayed comfortably in front. That's a perfect blueprint for success, especially when Big Ten play resumes on Jan. 2 against Penn State.
UP NEXT
Ohio: Hosts Western Kentucky on Sunday.
Maryland: Face Garner-Webb on Saturday afternoon, the second of six straight home games for the Terrapins.