Here’s some statistical intrigue for you from Maryland’s 71-56 defeat of Utah in the NCAA tournament’s second round at Comcast Center.
Tonight’s game had three distinct stretches for Maryland, some of them spliced up into bits.
SEE RELATED:
One was Maryland going with three guards.
The second was Maryland going with four guards.
The third was garbage time, the final 2:38 when Maryland subbed out Kristi Toliver, Marissa Coleman and Marah Strickland.
Let’s put this, as is my wont, in chart form
| Scenario |
Time |
Score (M-U)
|
Margin |
| Three-guard |
12:40 |
19-21 |
-2 |
| Four-guard |
24:42 |
52-30 |
+22 |
Garbage time
|
2:38 |
0-5 |
-5 |
That about answers what made the difference for the Terps more than any plus-minus chart ever could.
Maryland went small (well, relatively small) and generally used its top three guards and either Anjale Barrett (for a good chunk of the first half) or Kim Rodgers (for much of the second half). That turned out to work rather well.
But just for fun, here’s a plus-minus chart anyway as I wrap up things from Comcast Center (where the tape that covered the men’s 3-point line has already been balled up and is in the process of being hauled away):
| Player |
1st half
|
2nd half
|
Total |
Min. |
| 5-Strickland |
+16 |
+6 |
+22 |
34 |
| 10-Barrett |
+20 |
-10 |
+10 |
16 |
| 12-Kizer |
+1 |
+9 |
+10 |
21 |
| 13-Liles |
+10 |
-7 |
+3 |
31 |
| 14-Oyefuwa |
DNP |
-5 |
-5 |
3 |
| 20-Toliver |
+16 |
+4 |
+20 |
37 |
| 22-Rodgers |
+1 |
-1 |
0 |
18 |
| 24-Mingo |
DNP |
-5 |
-5 |
3 |
| 25-Coleman |
+16 |
+4 |
+20 |
37 |
– Patrick Stevens
