For Openers, It’s Easy for Maryland

After unfurling the NCAA championship banner from the rafters of their new arena in College Park, the No. 12 Maryland Terrapins cruised to their 85th consecutive nonconference home victory Sunday, 64-49 over Miami of Ohio.

Playing in front of the largest home crowd in school history (17,950), the Terrapins formally opened the $107-million Comcast Center by limiting the RedHawks (0-2) to 27% shooting in taking an 11-point halftime lead.

In other top 25 games:

Freshman Anthony Roberson scored 26 points to help No. 8 Florida (3-0) rout Coastal Carolina (1-1), 88-45, at Gainesville, Fla..... James Davis made seven three-point baskets and scored 21 points as No. 10 Oregon opened its season with a 97-52 victory over Grambling in the John Thompson Foundation Challenge at Eugene, Ore. The Ducks play Cal State Northridge in the title game tonight. The Matadors beat Jacksonville, 67-55.... Five players reached double figures as No. 11 Xavier (2-1) took control early and defeated Florida A&M;, 93-64, at Cincinnati.... Rick Rickert, last season’s Big Ten freshman of the year, scored 26 points at Minneapolis as No. 24 Minnesota improved to 4-0 in season openers under Coach Dan Monson with an 87-81 win over North Carolina Asheville.... No. 25 Tulsa (2-0) had a 13-0 run in the second half on the way to an 80-50 thumping of Texas Pan American in the South Padre Island Roundball Invitational at South Padre Island, Texas.

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Two former Fresno State players said they accepted cash and other benefits from sports agents in violation of NCAA rules, the Fresno Bee reported Sunday.

Tito Maddox said in an interview that he accepted an estimated $30,000 from relatives of a Las Vegas sports agent during the 2000-01 season. And Terrance Roberson told the newspaper he accepted at least several hundred dollars from middleman Nate Cebrun during the 1999-2000 season.