COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) -- Diamond Stone scored 39 points, the most-ever by a Maryland freshman, and had 12 rebounds, leading the fourth-ranked Terrapins to a 70-64 victory over Penn State in their Big Ten opener Wednesday night.
Robert Carter had another dominant performance and finished with 11 points for Maryland (12-1). Melo Trimble, the Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year, shook off a slow start and had 10 points for the Terrapins, who extended their winning streak to six games.
Shep Garner scored 12 of his 17 points in the first half for Penn State (9-5). Brandon Taylor added 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Payton Banks finished with 12 points for the Nittany Lions, who have lost two of their past three games.
After Maryland trailed by 8 at the half, a pair of dunks by Stone capped a 10-2 run and tied the game at 33. The Terrapins, though, continued to struggle with their shooting and Penn State took advantage.
A pair of free throws by Josh Reaves and a dunk by Donovon Jack gave the Nittany Lions a 55-45 lead with 7:58 left.
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Maryland pulled to within 60-55 on a 3-pointer by Trimble and free throw by Stone with 5:18 remaining. The Terps got a stop and another dunk by Stone cut the margin to 3, forcing Penn State to call a timeout.
Another 3-pointer by Trimble tied the game again at 60 with 3:49 remaining and gave the Terps the momentum. Stone made four straight free throws for a 66-62 cushion with just over a minute left. A 3-pointer by Carter with 31 seconds remaining sealed the victory.
Maryland won the rebound battle, 41-31.
A layup by Taylor gave Penn State its first lead, 14-12, with 10:29 left in the half. The Terrapins struggled and a dunk by Stone ended a drought of 11 straight missed field goals, pulling them to within 18-15 with 5:35 left.
The Nittany Lions remained in control and a pair of free throws by Garner in the closing seconds provided a 31-23 lead at the break. Maryland was just 6 of 24 (25 percent)--its worst half of shooting this season.
TIP INS
Penn State: Penn State opened conference play on the road for the sixth time in seven years.
Maryland: The Terrapins extended their winning streak at XFINITY Center to 22 games. . Maryland entered the game as the only team in the Big Ten with five players who average 10 or more points per game: Melo Trimble (14.8), Robert Carter (13), Diamond Stone (11.2), Jake Layman (11) and Rasheed Sulaimon (10.8)
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Penn State plays at Michigan on Saturday.
Maryland visits Northwestern on Saturday.
