There are few players, if any, better equipped to make big plays with the ball in their hands than Maryland sophomore point guard Melo Trimble. Saturday afternoon Trimble offered up more evidence to back this up, making big plays throughout the second half in the Terrapins’ 63-60 win at Wisconsin.
The biggest play: his cold-blooded three-pointer from about 25 feet out with 1.2 seconds remaining to break a 60-all tie.
Trimble finished the game with 21 points and five assists, doing the majority of his damage (13 points, three assists) in the second half. In a half in which Maryland scored 27 points with only three players responsible for the scoring (Robert Carter Jr. and Diamond Stone scored seven points apiece), Trimble factored into 20 of those points by way of scoring or assisting on the made basket.
Trimble’s been exceptional in ball screen situations this season, managing to create high-quality looks for either himself or a teammate on a consistent basis. That’s a big reason why the Terrapins are ranked third in the country and boast a record of 15-1 despite the fact that they had to work newcomers such as Carter, Stone, and Rasheed Sulaimon into the rotation.
They’ve got depth and talent. But the biggest reason why Maryland is a contender for the Big Ten and national titles is the fact that they’ve got Melo. Wisconsin gave the Terrapins a run, but in the end the sophomore point guard was the biggest difference-maker on the Kohl Center court.