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COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Andre Mills recorded 22 points and 11 rebounds, and Maryland turned a big advantage on the glass into a 96-67 win over Bucknell on opening night at XFINITY Center. Aleksander Pachucki went 7-for-11 from 3-point range and scored a career-high 23 points to lead the Bison.
Rocco Lamuno added 12 points, and Luca Soroa Schaller had seven points and four assists in their Bucknell debuts. Maryland put five players in double figures and finished with a lopsided 54-22 rebounding edge, with 28 of those coming on the offensive end. That led to a 28-4 margin in second-chance points, and the Terrapins also outscored the Bison 21-9 from the foul line.
It was an even game for the first 13 minutes, but the bigger Terrapins changed the game with a 21-5 run to end the first half.
Bucknell hung around for most of the first half and took a couple of small leads at 17-16 and 25-23. Pachucki's 3-pointer gave the Bison the two-point edge with 7:15 to go, but Maryland asserted itself on the glass and surged ahead at the free-throw line.
Pachucki's fourth 3-pointer of the half ended a 10-0 run, but the Terrapins, who were shooting just 33.3 percent at the time, got 3-pointers from Bishop Boswell, Robert Jennings II, and Mills in the final three minutes. A steal and layup from Mills with 15 seconds left capped a 21-5 run and gave the Terps a 44-30 lead at the break.
Bucknell missed three open looks to start the second half as Maryland grabbed the first two buckets to go up by 18. Back-to-back layups from Lamuno and Pachucki got the Bison back within 48-34, but they lost a possession on a replay challenge, and then two straight turnovers led to a layup and a breakaway dunk for the Terps.
Maryland shot 55% over the remainder of the half as the lead ballooned to as many as 29.
Bucknell shot 43.4% on the night and went 12-for-21 from 3-point range. Pachucki became the first Bison to hit seven 3-pointers in a game since Andrew Funk at Illinois State on Nov. 20, 2021. Maryland finished at 47.2 percent from the field. The Terps hit 7 of 28 from long range and 21 of 31 from the foul line. The hosts had only 11 assists on 34 made field goals as they found success attacking the rim on drives and rebounds.
In addition to Lamuno and Soroa Schaller, Kyle Marshall (4), Ethan Marten-Coney (4), and Luke Soden (2) all scored their first Bucknell points.
Next up for Bucknell is the home opener on Saturday against Old Dominion at 5 p.m.
Maryland 96, Bucknell 67
BUCKNELL (0-1, 0-0 PATRIOT LEAGUE)
Aleksander Pachucki 8-14 0-0 23, Rocco Lamuno 3-6 4-4 12, Luca Soroa Schaller 2-3 2-2 7, Patrick O'Brien 3-5 0-0 7, Jayden Williams 2-6 0-0 4, Kyle Marshall 2-5 0-2 4, Ethan Marten-Coney 2-6 0-0 4, Jacob Meachem 1-2 1-2 4, Luke Soden 0-2 2-4 2, Mert Kocagazoglu 0-2 0-0 0, Ludvik Bergseng 0-2 0-0 0, Danny Kennard 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-53 9-14 67.
MARYLAND (1-0, 0-0 BIG TEN)
Andre Mills 8-12 3-4 22, Pharrel Payne 5-6 3-9 13, D.J. Wagner 5-13 0-0 10, Tomislav Buijan 3-6 4-4 10, MIke McNair Jr. 2-3 0-0 6, Kaden House 4-9 6-6 14, Baba Oladotun 3-6 1-4 7, Robert Jennings 2-2 2-2 7, Bishop Boswell 1-6 0-0 3, Austin Brown 0-6 2-2 2, George Turkson Jr. 1-2 0-0 2, Adama Tombedou 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 34-72 21-31 96.
Halftime: Maryland, 44-30. 3-point goals: Bucknell 12-31 (Pachucki 7-11, Lamuno 2-4, Meachem 1-2, Soroa Schaller 1-1, O'Brien 1-2, Marshall 0-1, Soden 0-1, Berseng 0-1, Kocagozuglu 0-2, Marten-Coney 0-2, Williams 0-4), Maryland 7-28 (Mills 3-6, McNair Jr. 2-3, Jennings 1-1, Boswell 1-4, Turkson Jr. 0-1, Tombedou 0-1, Oladotun 0-2, House 0-2, Wagner 0-4). Fouled out: Bucknell-none; Maryland-none. Rebounds: Bucknell 22 (Marshall 4), Maryland 54 (Mills 11). Assists: Bucknell 17 (Soroa Schaller 4, O'Brien 4), Maryland 11 (Wagner 3). Technical fouls: Bucknell-none; Maryland-none. Total fouls: Bucknell 19, Maryland 17.