EAST LANSING, MICH. — Maryland coach Mark Turgeon wasn't sure how some of his younger players would respond to their first Big Ten road game. He wasn't even certain how some of his veterans would react to the physicality that Michigan State has thrived on for years.
One player Turgeon had confidence in was senior Jon Graham.
"He was terrific the whole game," Turgeon said of the former Calvert Hall standout. "I had a hunch about Jon. He was great in practice yesterday, he likes physical games."
Graham played 19 minutes in Maryland's 68-66 double overtime win over Michigan State at Breslin Center, his longest stint since playing the same amount of time in an upset of then-No. 13 Iowa State last month in the CBE Hall of Fame Classic title game in Kansas City, Mo.
Graham, a 6-foot-8 senior who had lost on the road against Michigan State in his first two seasons with Penn State, finished with seven points (going 3 of 3 from the field) and five rebounds Tuesday. He also made a big play in the second overtime on which he tipped a loose ball to fellow senior transfer Richaud Pack, who was fouled.
"It was a hustle play, and if you're going to beat Michigan State, you're going to have to get a few of those because they usually get most of them, and we got it," Turgeon said. "Jon made a great play. I didn't like Richaud going in and shooting it because we were up one. Sometimes good things happen when you don't want it to happen that way."
Graham, who has seen his role diminished since last season because of the development of sophomore center Damonte Dodd and the arrival of freshman center Michal Cekovsky, could not have been more pleased with his contribution against the Spartans.
More than anything, he was pleased with the play of the team.
"It's wonderful," he said. "This is a great team win. We really came together, it's emotional, a double-overtime win, it's our first game in the Big Ten, we couldn't ask for a better game. I'm really proud of my team, we really showed a lot."
Maryland's depth wore down the Spartans. All 10 players Turgeon used played at least 10 minutes. Along with Graham, Pack added nine points and five rebounds in 37 minutes, senior forward Evan Smotrycz had nine points and eight rebounds in 18 minutes off the bench.
Unlike some of the victories the Terps have had where one or two players led the way -- usually Melo Trimble, Dez Wells or Jake Layman, who had nine rebounds Tuesday despite seeing his streak of 13 straight games in double figures end with a foul-plagued four-point performance -- Maryland had many contribute to this win.
"This is a great win, and I'm sure we'll have a lot more team wins this way," Wells said. "This is not going to be the last game where we shoot as bad as we did, but to be a great team, you've got to find a way to pull it out, and we did tonight. That's all that matters."