I don't think there's anything I can say to fix the empty feeling in the pit of my stomach. The bench played great, and the whole team played great until the last quarter of the game.
What's the problem late in the game? The Terps have sucked the last three times they've had a lead in the second half, winning only once. At Wake, Maryland scored 4 points in the last 5:19, but still pulled it out. At home against VT and Clemson, they haven't been so lucky. Clemson closed the game on a 34-11 run, and the Terps surrendered a 32-18 run to VT to end the game. Both runs lasted the last 11 minutes.
I guess all I can point to is the huge number of turnovers, but we just looked tired and harried at the end of the game. All of the fire had been taken out of us, even before the last couple minutes.
Just like the rest of the teams on the bubble this year, we have shown ourselves to be incapable of playing our way in. We now need a generous decision by the committee or at least a trip to the semis of the ACC tournament.
Credit Oglesby with a ridiculous, fully challenged pro 3 at the end of the game. That was a great shot. But really, how would OT have gone?
March 2, 2008
Maryland Falls Apart, Blows Everything
Summer is here and there's never been a better time to try your hand at online sports betting. Place your bets on your favorite horse with horse racing or even try your luck with your favorite football team. Enjoying sport is just a click away!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
10 Responses:
I was saying "Cover the white boy!" on the last possession, but they did. I can't really complain about that.
Handing over a 20-point lead was unpleasant though.
Russell, you spared me the pain of posting my thoughts from being at the game. I've left Comcast numb way too many times this year (losses to Ohio, American, and this debacle). As I said to the wife on the way out, once you live through the "Gone in 54 Seconds" game in person, you realize you can live through just about any loss.
Still, I've never seen a team look so utterly perplexed by full court pressure. And to say that we need a true point guard is the understatement of the century. Vasquez is playing out of position there and doesn't have the court smarts or the vision to play the 1 and break a press like we saw tonight. Hayes seems to actually have REGRESSED since last year, and he seems like the personality who could regress in the face of Gary's tough love coaching. Hayes is too slow off the ball and doesn't have good enough ball handling skills to play the point.
About the only encouraging things were Adrian Bowie and Cliff Tucker showing some signs of life. Still, this loss can be hung squarely on Milbourne and Boom. Oh... how the hell can James Gist get his legs undercut from him and not have been fouled?
So mad right now... so mad.
Jeremy, you were at Ohio, American, AND this game? I'm going to call the ticket office and have them bar you from attending any games next year.
I feel like crap after watching that, but I'm not mad. I'm not bitter at the players. I just feel sad for the lost opportunity. Beating Clemson and locking up a spot in the tournament on senior night would have been sweet. I can't even imagine what Gist and Boom must be feeling today.
So are you saying you think winning the ACC Tourney is out?
I honestly think Vasquez is the worst decision-maker I have ever seen on a basketball court.
Two of a handful of some of the most epic collapses in college hoops the past 10 yrs. have involved Maryland hoops (the loss to Duke back in '01 - down 10 with a minute left - was the other one). Is this pure coincidence or perhaps a Gary Williams thing?
Dean, you forgot the loss to Duke in the 2001 Final Four when we were up 22.
Jeremy, shouldn't you be saving money for a bedskirt or something? No more Terps basketball games for you.
J-red, Jeez... I had completely forgot about that one.
How do you guys do it?
This is why we were all still watching. We know that the Terps are like an NBA team, no lead is safe. Don't forget Mike Jones' 3 pointers that sent us into OT in the ACC tournament the year we won it behind Gilchrist. That was our revenge for "Gone in 54 Seconds".
Post a Comment