Cliff Tucker scored 15 points, Dino Gregory added 14, and Maryland halted a two-game skid by defeating Delaware State 72-54 Tuesday night.
The victory followed successive defeats against Pittsburgh and Illinois last week at Madison Square Garden. Adrian Bowie scored 11 for the Terrapins (4-2), who finished with a 40-20 rebounding advantage and outscored the Hornets 14-7 at the foul line.
Maryland took the lead for good with just over two minutes elapsed, expanded the margin to 19 at halftime and led by 27 with eight minutes remaining.
Jay Threatt scored 15 for the Hornets (1-1), Desi Washington had 14 and Casey Walker chipped in with 11.
Delaware State trailed by 21 early in the second half before Washington and Walker drilled 3-pointers in a 9-2 spurt that made it 44-30. Maryland's next six points came at the foul line before Sean Mosley hit a runner for a 52-32 lead.
Soon after that, baskets by Jordan Williams and Tucker sparked a 12-2 surge that put the Terrapins up 64-37. Delaware State went more than four minutes without scoring until Threatt hit a jumper with 6:50 remaining to begin a 10-0 run that whittled the deficit down to 19 points.
Tucker scored 11 and Gregory had 10 points, five rebounds and two assists to help the Terrapins take a 40-21 halftime lead.
Maryland built an early 13-2 rebounding edge and limited the Hornets to 3-for-11 shooting going up 17-10. The gap might have been broader had not the Terrapins committed seven turnovers, including four by Mosley.
It was 22-14 before Tucker hit a follow-shot and a 3-pointer in a 12-0 run that put the Terps ahead by 20.
