The Maryland Terrapins suffered what possibly can be a huge loss. On Saturday, the Terrapins locked horns with Marquette for their fourth match of the season. However, the exciting matchup quickly turned cold when fans saw their star player Pharrel Payne suffer a gruesome injury and be stretchered off the court mid-game. Now, head coach Buzz Williams has finally broken his silence.

In a post-game interview after their win over the Golden Eagles (89-82), Williams opened up about the incident that took place during the second half of their game. He said, “He’s our best player. That’s well-received within our program. I’ve never seen him hurt, and the angle that I saw(Payne’s fall), it did not appear good.”

He further added, “When I got back to the huddle, our kids said, ‘Coach, you got to pray for him.’.. I didn’t talk about ball. We just prayed for him.” As soon as Williams’ statement made the rounds, fans took over social media to show their support and send prayers for the player.

With 12:14 left in the second half. Pharrel Payne rose for a dunk, but as he came down, his legs slipped apart in an awkward split-like motion. He immediately fell to the floor, screaming in pain. And within moments, staff rushed over, and he was stretchered off and transported to a Milwaukee-area hospital.

However, with no official update on the severity of his injury shared yet, concern continues to grow, and prayers keep pouring in for the Terrapins’ star.

Fans send their prayers for Pharrel Payne

Taking to the comments section of the post, one fan wrote, “Hated seeing it live prayers up he’s a great player🙏.” And they weren’t wrong. Before the fall, Payne was having another efficient outing, finishing with 13 points on a perfect 6-of-6 shooting. It was a continuation of his strong start to the season, where he has been averaging 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks per game, leading the team as the top scorer, rebounder, and blocker. Whereas another stated, “Damn hate to see this, especially when he’s finally finding his game 🙏.”

While one fan said, “Prayers. Great kid! ❤️” With Myles Rice and Solomon Washington already sidelined, supporters couldn’t ignore the brutal timing. Losing yet another key contributor has placed Maryland’s rotation under serious strain for the upcoming games, especially against the top-ranked team.

Furthermore, another added, “He was just starting to become an offensive beast too man it’s always terrible timing.” And it truly was. The Texas A&M transfer was playing in his 100th collegiate game and making his 41st career start, a milestone that, combined with the Terrapins’ win over the Golden Eagles, should have been celebratory, not traumatic.

Another fan pointed out, “This why people hang on the rim this exact situation, prayers up man 🙏🏽” With officials now frequently issuing technicals for “excessive rim hanging,” players often feel forced to let go quickly. In Payne’s case, he released the rim without a clear landing zone after his dunk and landed on an opposing player’s foot.

With Maryland already battling injuries and now facing the possibility of losing their most dependable two-way presence, all eyes remain on the official update from the program. Until then, the Terrapin community can only wait and keep him in their prayers.