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Morehead State vs. Maryland recap: Alex Len, Nick Faust lead Terps to 67-45 win

Maryland picked up their first win of the 2012-13 men's basketball season, beating Morehead State by 22 points.

Jason Szenes

The Maryland Terrapins picked up their first win of the season on Monday night, taking care of Morehead State at the Comcast Center for a 67-45 victory. Mark Turgeon's club played defending National Champion Kentucky to the final shot on Friday evening, but came up just short of a statement-making opening win. But the Terrapins responded nicely and turned it on to keep the Eagles at a double-digit deficit for most of the game.

The play and production of Alex Len was clearly the most impressive aspect of the Terps game against Kentucky, and the sophomore center followed that up with another solid showing against Morehead State. Len was simply too much on the inside for the Eagles, but he also continued to facilitate the offense, passing extremely well out of the post. He finished with 11 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks. Shaquille Cleare was also impressive in the frontcourt, tallying eight points, five boards, and three emphatic blocks that left the crowd buzzing.

Nick Faust led all scorers with 12 points, and he did it with an efficient six shots. He struggled on Friday but was not shy about getting his attempts. It's clear Turgeon will need him to be a primary scorer in the backcourt, and he should form a nice one-two punch with Len.

The Terps were also suffocating on the defensive side of the ball, harassing the Eagles on the perimeter and stifling any easy attempts around the hoop. Morehead shot just 32 percent from the field, and could never get it close to threaten over the final 10 minutes.

At 1-1, the Terps will now host LIU Brooklyn in College Park on Friday night.