Eric Ayala scored 22 points and collected eight rebounds and Fatts Russell added 18 points and five assists to spark slow-starting Maryland past visiting Brown 81-67, Thursday night in College Park.

Hakim Hart scored 17 points and Donta Scott contributed 15 points and eight rebounds as Maryland (8-4) surged in the second half after trailing by seven before intermission.

Brown (8-7) was led by Tamenang Choh, who scored 25 points and collected seven rebounds. Kino Lilly Jr. scored 17 and Jaylan Gainey added 10 points and three blocks, hitting 5 of 6 shots from the floor.

When Choh drilled a corner 3 early in the second half, Brown was up 45-39. But Maryland followed with a 13-0 run.

Scott helped trigger the surge with a 3-pointer. The shot came with 15:53 left and was the Terps' first of the game after nine misses from beyond the arc. Russell and Hart added two buckets each during the run, which put Maryland in front 52-45.

Maryland hiked its lead to 60-49 midway through the half when Hart swished a 3-pointer. Over the final 10 minutes, Ayala kept the Terps in charge with 13 points.

There were eight ties in the first half before Choh gave Brown a small cushion with all of the Bears' points in an 8-2 run. Choh's 3-pointer sparked the surge and his driving 3-point play closed it, giving Brown a 35-28 lead

But Russell, who had to be helped off the floor two days earlier after sustaining a knee injury in a win over Lehigh, scored seven points in the final 2:04 of the half to give Maryland a boost heading into the break.

After shooting just 37 percent from the floor in the first half, Maryland made 60 percent of its tries in the second half.

--Field Level Media