Maryland Knocks Off #1 UNC, 82-80

In December, Maryland looked dead, having lost to American University and Ohio University in the span of a week. A lackluster showing against Boston College and a tough loss to Virginia Tech had the Terps staring down the possibility of a 0-5 start in conference with games against UNC and Duke coming up after a winnable game against Wake Forest.

Well, Maryland beat Wake. Today they beat #1 UNC at the Dean Dome. The victory marked Gary Williams' 7th win over a top-ranked team (one with Ohio State, six with Maryland), the best among active coaches. In fact, Maryland has fared well against #1 teams throughout its history, winning 10 of 24 of such contests and 4 of the past 7.


Maryland led for most of the game, with the margin usually between 3 and 9 points. Right around the 13-minute mark in the second half, the Dean Dome crowd came alive as they cut the lead to two. Recognizing that the 12-minute officials time out was coming, Williams wisely called one of his own at the heigh of UNC's run. The back to back stoppages did little to kill the momentum or the crowd, as a quick Hansbrough basket tied the game at 59 coming out of the break. At the eight minute mark, they took their first lead since late in the first half.

Maryland remained scrappy, enjoying strong performances from guards Greivis Vasquez (12 pts, 11 assists, 6 rebounds) and surprise contributor Eric Hayes (battling ankle sprain but providing two crucial threes). James Gist (22 pts, only one foul) also finally put a complete game together, hitting some key shots, playing strong defense and playing very well in the paint. Bambale Osby single-handedly saved the game for Maryland with a series of clutch inside moves. For UNC, Tyler Hansbrough (17 pts, perfect 5/5 from the line) started slow but eventually dominated inside. Lawson battled foul trouble, getting his fourth with nearly nine minutes remaining.

UNC took a four point lead around the 2:30 mark, but Maryland battled back to tie it at 1:22 on a pair of Vasquez free throws. Maryland got a key stop on the ensuring possession, and Gist earned a trip to the line after his strong rebound, making both shots. Hansbrough made a shot in traffic to tie the game back up under a minute. Osby hit a driving runner to take the lead. On UNC's trip down, Ellington missed a three and neither team could corral the rebound, but UNC kept the ball (on a questionable call). With 10.7 remaining, UNC inbounded and Ellington missed a runner. The ball was tied up with 1.7 left, but the arrow favored UNC. Hansbrough took a three, which missed.

Maryland 82, UNC 80