COLLEGE PARK -- For six minutes last night, Bucknell befuddled Maryland.
The Terps made their first four shots and took an 8-0 lead, but suddenly, the Bison was doing its best Princeton imitation, using most of the shot clock before taking and making three-pointers or layups.
After eight minutes, Bucknell had a 15-14 lead and Maryland's attention, but the Terps tightened their defense, got a career-high 27 points and another complete game from junior guard Johnny Rhodes, and blew by the Bison for a 102-64 rout before a crowd of 13,269 at Cole Field House.
It was the 32nd straight nonconference win at Cole for No. 11 Maryland (4-1) since a loss to Coppin State five years ago. The streak figures to grow tomorrow against UMBC and Thursday night against Colgate, which, like Bucknell, is a member of the nonscholarship Patriot League.
The Bison (0-4) is off to its worst start in 20 years, when it was coached by Jim Valvano. Terps coach Gary Williams was nonetheless impressed with Maryland's most lopsided victory of the young season.
"A team like Bucknell comes in fired up," Williams said. "If they can hang with you, it's a big thing for them. I came in here [when he coached American] against Buck Williams and Albert King, so I know how they feel.
"I thought our defense really stepped up, and it doesn't matter who you play, that's what you want to see."
On a night when the Terps limited Bucknell to 41.4 percent shooting and made 57.6 of their own attempts, Rhodes was the leader at both ends. He made 11 of 17 shots, collected seven rebounds, dished out three assists and had three steals, moving him within 12 of the Maryland career record held by Walt Williams.
Like Loyola five days earlier, Bucknell was determined to collapse on Joe Smith, and while the sophomore center was limited to 10 shots, he finished with 13 points and nine rebounds. Forwards Exree Hipp (16 points, seven rebounds) and Keith Booth (14, 10) had solid numbers, as did point guard Duane Simpkins (13 points, six assists) on a night when the five starters lived up to their double-figure averages.
Bucknell got 14 points apiece from Gordon Mboya and Dave Steigerwald. Two three-pointers by Mboya got the Bison settled after it fell behind 8-0, and his transition basket gave it a 15-14 lead with 12:20 left in the first half.
The Bison had one final lead, 18-15, on Mboya's three-pointer, but reserve forward Mario Lucas put the Terps on top for good with a fadeaway jumper from the left baseline and two free throws.
Maryland led 23-21 when it embarked on the 18-0 run that gave the Terps a 41-21 bulge with 3:47 to go in the half. The Bison hung around for another 10 minutes, before another run by Maryland, this one of 12 points, made it 77-46 and signaled garbage time.
"We should have put them away even earlier, but Bucknell hit a couple of threes early, and that gave them a little confidence," Hipp said. "The whole goal is to put them away early, but that's still the second-best 40 minutes we've played, after Utah."
It got ridiculous with seven minutes to go, when the Bison was slow to get on the floor after an official's timeout and Booth took the inbounds pass and enjoyed an uncontested dunk. Bison coach Pat Flannery was hit with a technical, and Simpkins' free throws made it 85-51.
"That's a first," Flannery said to no one in particular while Simpkins shot.
Four Terps starters were in with five minutes left and a 37-point lead, but the loudest cheers were for last-minute baskets by Maryland reserves, as seldom-seen sophomore guard Matt Raydo got his first collegiate basket, senior forward Kurtis Shultz drained a three-pointer and freshman Sarunas Jasikevicius scored off a steal with two seconds left.
About the only disappointment for the Terps yesterday was the loss by Massachusetts 3,000 miles to the west. After falling to Kansas, the Minutemen will lose their No. 1 ranking. It might detract from the hype for Saturday's Maryland-Massachusetts game at the Baltimore Arena, but not from the Terps' incentive.
"I wanted them to be No. 1," Simpkins said. "They're still going to be ranked ahead of us, and it will give us the opportunity to move up. That's the challenge."