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Cowan scores 25 to carry Maryland past Butler 79-65

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) – Anthony Cowan had 25 points and 10 rebounds, both career highs, and Maryland used a strong shooting performance to beat Butler 79-65 Wednesday night.

The Terrapins (3-0) connected on 17 of 24 shots to take a 42-35 halftime lead, then opened the second half with an 11-5 spurt to increase the margin to 13 points.

After Butler (2-1) closed to 61-56, Cowan drilled a long 3-pointer and freshman Darryl Morsell made a dunk off his own steal for a 10-point cushion with 5:30 left.

Maryland shot 57 percent from the floor, going 9 for 20 from beyond the arc, and finished with a 40-27 rebounding advantage.

Cowan went 5 for 8 from the floor, hit three shots from beyond the arc and had five assists in 37 minutes. It was the first career double-double for the sophomore point guard.

Sean McDermott scored 17 for Butler, which lost for the first time under new coach LaVall Jordan. The Bulldogs went 9 for 34 from the floor after halftime.

The matchup was part of the Gavitt Games, which matches teams from the Big East against the Big Ten.

Maryland prevailed despite committing 20 turnovers, including four by Justin Jackson. The sophomore forward was limited to four points but contributed 11 rebounds.

Playing on the road for the first time this season, Butler led 15-10 before Kevin Huerter and freshman Bruno Fernando each scored six points in a 22-5 run that put the Terps up by 12.

Fernando pumped his fist and yelled as he ran up the court, raising the enthusiasm of the 16,317 fans that came to see a rare early-season showdown between two perennially strong teams.

HELLO AGAIN

This was only the second meeting between the schools. In the first, Butler eliminated Maryland in the second round of the 2007 NCAA Tournament.

BIG PICTURE

Butler: This was a tough early test for the young Bulldogs, who have only two seniors on the roster and were playing in a hostile environment for the first time under their first-year coach. To their credit, they kept their poise and finished with only 10 turnovers.

Maryland: The Terrapins needed a game like this, one that could challenge them to raise their level of play after breezing past Stony Brook and Maryland-Eastern Shore. Playing before a pumped-up crowd against a big-name opponent, the team gave the fans what they wanted and showed that this squad just might make some noise in the Big Ten.

UP NEXT

Butler: Faces Furman at home on Saturday, the Bulldogs’ fourth game in nine days.

Maryland: Hosts Bucknell on Saturday night, the second of four straight home games.