COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Jamel Artis walked into Maryland’s Xfinity Center, a building in which he played both in high school and earlier in his college career, with a distinct, unshakeable feeling Tuesday.
A Baltimore native, Artis, who has blossomed into one of the ACC’s premier scorers his senior season at Pitt, never received an offer or much interest from his home state’s flagship school and most recognizable program.
That scorn occurred long ago, but the experience stayed with him.
“I played with a chip on my shoulder for that,” Artis said.
Playing in front of nearly 20 family members, and against a team featuring several players and coaches he knew from his youth, Artis ignited a sublime first half from the Panthers that pushed them to a 21-point lead that, ultimately, was too much for Maryland to overcome in a 73-59 victory.
The win stands as a key step and measuring point for a Pitt team now seven games into a new coaching tenure. For Artis, it meant something a little bit more.
“I play at home a lot during the year; I get 15, 20-something games at home,” Pitt forward Mike Young, a Duquesne native, said. “He gets one, maybe two close to home. It was big for him. I was really proud of him. He’s the reason why we got that lead and got up big. He was the bus driver tonight. I was a bus rider and he just kind of took us.”
The 6-foot-7 point guard finished the night with 22 points, 15 of which came in a first half in which he sank six of eight shots. He didn’t score the most of anyone on his team — that would be Young, with 25 points and nine rebounds — but he was the instrumental force in the game’s decisive juncture.
After falling behind by six in the opening five minutes, the Panthers (6-1) made 15 of their final 21 shots in the first half to key a 38-11 run to go up, 45-24, at halftime. Artis had three assists and 11 points in that stretch, eight of which came on three consecutive possessions that stretched Pitt’s lead from six to 14.
Artis’ homecoming presented an emotional balancing act of sorts, one in which he had to channel his aggression and anger while avoiding the recklessness those two feelings can create. For much of that night, but especially in those opening 20 minutes, he was masterful at it.
“It probably did, but I hope not,” Pitt coach Kevin Stallings said when asked if the game meant more to Artis given the opponent and location. “They’re young men and they don’t see it like I see it. The Morehead State game was as important to me as this game was and the game we have on Friday. All games are weighted the same when you’re 22 years old. It probably was a little special for him.”
Though it wasn’t because of Artis’ drive or emotions getting the better of him, there were stretches in which he and his teammates faltered, partially because of their reliance on Young and Artis to score. In the final 9:14, Pitt made just two field goals, a drought that allowed the Terrapins (7-1) to trim what had been a 25-point lead to eight with 3:35 remaining, turning what had been an audibly frustrated crowd into an ecstatic one.
“When you have prolific scorers, one of the benefits is they can get you a bucket when things are down,” Stallings said. “One of the drawbacks is sometimes when they try to get that bucket when things are down, they run into traffic or, in the case tonight, Maryland’s got some really big guys, so they’re walling up on Mike and making it difficult for him.”
By the time the final seconds of the game ticked off, the Panthers had held the previously undefeated Terrapins to 34.4 percent shooting, with their star backcourt of Melo Trimble and Anthony Cowan missing 16 of its 24 shots.
With 13 seconds remaining, Young threw down a dunk and held his finger to his lips to quiet the crowd, a gesture that, to the red-clad faithful, may as well have been performed with a middle finger. While pockets of the crowd booed or groaned, directed at both their own team and Young’s slam, Artis walked off the court with the one of what he’s hoping will be several memorable moments in his final year of college basketball.
“I’ve got a lot more to show,” he said. “I’m ready for the ACC. I don’t like how they picked us 12th [in the preseason poll]. This is a great test tonight. I think me and my guys came out and played hard.”
Craig Meyer: cmeyer@post-gazette.com and Twitter @CraigMeyerPG
First Published: November 30, 2016, 2:10 a.m.