Maryland passed another big test as it prepares for its first season in the rugged Big Ten.
Jake Layman had 21 points and 11 rebounds and the No. 17 Terrapins beat Oklahoma State 73-64 on Sunday to improve to 11-1. They handed the Cowboys their fifth loss in 198 nonconference home games dating to 1987.
"It's big for the team to get that first real road win in a tough environment, especially the younger guys because this is what we'll see in conference play," Layman said.
Maryland, 17-15 last season, connected on just five of its first 20 shots, but was 7 of 8 down the stretch in the opening half to take a 32-27 lead. The Terps opened the second half with a 15-3 run to build a 17-point lead.
"The last 5 minutes of the first half and the opening minutes of the second half are about as well as we've played this year," Maryland coach Mark Turgeon said. "Our guys really rose to the occasion. It's always better when you make shots and it was fun to see that stretch. We gained a lot of confidence when we beat Iowa State (in Kansas City) and this is a great win for us. We have two really good road wins."
Layman was 3 of 5 from 3-point range and the Terrapins were 10 of 25 overall from long range. Melo Trimble had 16 points, Jared Nickens added 11, and Richaud Pack had 10 rebounds.
"In the locker room we talked about coming out and taking that first punch," Nickens said. "That is important to do on the road and we did that."
Le'Bryan Nash led Oklahoma State (9-2) with 17 points and nine rebounds. Anthony Hickey had 16 points, and Phil Forte III added 13.
"Maryland was just a better basketball team that us today," Oklahoma State coach Travis Ford said. "We showed some fight, made a lot of momentum plays, but we waited until we were down big to show that urgency.
"You know the other team is going to be amped up for a road game like this. You have to match them for 40 minutes. (The start of the second half) that was the key. It set the tone for them and we were playing catch-up the rest of the way."
Oklahoma State cut it to 10 with 9 minutes left, but Layman hit a 3-pointer and finished a fast break with a layup to make it 56-41 with 7:50 remaining.
The Cowboys cut it to nine on Hickey's 3-pointer, but Layman came up big again, this time with a driving, dunk for a 62-51 advantage with 4:42 to play.
Hickey's 3-pointer made it 67-61 with 53 seconds left.
TIP-INS
Maryland: Coach Mark Turgeon is very familiar with Gallagher-Iba Arena and Big 12 member Oklahoma State. He played at Kansas from 1984-87 and was the head coach at former Big 12 member Texas A&M for four seasons (2007-2011). He's 6-3 as a coach against Oklahoma State. ... Entering Sunday the Terps ranked fourth in the NCAA in free throws made with 214. They hit 15 on Sunday to move their season total to 229, second behind UMass (233). Trimble was 7 of 7 and leads the nation in free throws made at 85.
Oklahoma State: The Cowboys are 49-3 in nonconference home games under head coach Travis Ford. ... The Cowboys have made at least one 3-pointer in 463 consecutive games dating to 2001. ... The Big 12 Conference is rated No. 1 in RPI, posting a 90-15 mark through Sunday's games. Oklahoma State ranks ninth in the country in steals at 10 per game. They had 10 on Sunday.
