No. 22 Maryland beats Virginia 74-68

By HANK KURZ Jr.
AP Sports Writer

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.(AP) — Locked in a spirited battle with
undermanned Virginia, No. 22 Maryland got help from the most
unexpected place in the final minute on Saturday afternoon.

With the Terrapins leading by a point, a blocking foul on Jerome
Meyinsse sent Cavaliers coach Tony Bennett into a momentary
rage. The first-year coach peeled his jacket off and threw it,
and was called for a technical foul that essentially rescued the
Terps.

Greivis Vasquez finished with 23 points, including both free
throws on the technical with 38.6 seconds to play, and Sean
Mosley added two more right after as Maryland held on, 74-68.

Maryland was 8 for 8 from the foul line in the final 38.6
seconds.

“Heck of a time to get the first technical foul of my career,
that’s for sure,” Bennett said, somewhat sheepishly. “I saw the
referee wasn’t looking and I took my jacket off and threw it
down. … It’s a hard game to swallow. I feel bad about it,
though, I really do.”

The Terrapins (23-7, 13-3 ACC) clinched at least a tie for the
conference regular season title with their seventh victory in a
row, but let a Cavaliers team playing without suspended scoring
leader Sylven Landesberg cut an 11-point deficit to one in the
final minute.

The blocking call came less than a minute after Virginia’s Will
Sherrill drew a charging on Vasquez that incensed Maryland coach
Gary Williams, helping to fuel the intense finish.

Mosley said the decisive call was a difficult one.

“The refs did a great job tonight,” Mosley said. “They’re not
going to get every call right. It was shocking to me. I had to
look around and make sure they called a block.”

Landesberg was suspended earlier in the day for not meeting
academic responsibilities, making Virginia’s performance all the
more surprising, especially when Adrian’s Bowie’s 3-pointer made
it 53-41 with 12:18 to play.

The Cavaliers, after all, had lost eight straight, the last six
by double digits.

“I think guys just said, ’Screw it. We have nothing to lose,”’
Sherrill said.

That attitude, combined with Maryland putting the game into
cruise control, produced a stirring comeback, and then a 3-point
shooting duel with the Cavaliers matching Vasquez.

“I think we got a little complacent,” Maryland guard Eric Hayes
said. “We were playing not to lose. Coach told us that and we
were able to reassert ourselves late in the game.”

Meyinsse led Virginia (14-15, 5-11) with 17 points in his final
home game. Jeff Jones hit 4 of 6 3-point attempts and scored 16
points, and Sammy Zeglinski had 14 with four 3s.

After Bowie’s 3 put the Terps ahead 53-41, Virginia scored the
next seven points, capped by Meyinsse’s dunk. Dino Gregory’s
free throw gave the Terps a 54-48 lead, but Jones and Vasquez
traded 3-pointers before Jones hit another from deep, pulling
Virginia to 57-54.

“There wasn’t much 3-point defense being played,” Hayes said.

Hayes’ driving basket pushed Maryland’s lead back to five, and
after Meyinsse hit a pair of free throws, Vasquez hit the first
of his back-to-back 3-pointers. The second answered one by
Sherrill, giving the Terps a 65-59 lead with 3:39 to play, but
Virginia kept coming.

Meyinsse scored on a baby hook with 3:09 left, and after Jordan
Williams’ free throw for Maryland, Mustapha Farrakhan made a
layup and then fed Sherrill for another after a Maryland
turnover, pulling the Cavaliers within 66-65 and setting up the
controversial finish.

When Sherrill drew the charge on Vasquez, the crowd of 13,431
went wild, thinking the Cavaliers were going to close their home
season by beating the Terps again, like last year.

But Farrakahn turned the ball over, Mosley was fouled at the
comeback fell short.

Hayes added 11 points and Mosley 10 for Maryland.

Maryland led 21-9 after 8 1/2 minutes and had outrebounding the
Cavaliers 14-1. Virginia finally found some rhythm offensively,
pulling within 28-20, but a 10-4 run by the Terps allowed them
to push their lead to 38-24 before Zeglinski closed the half
with a 3-pointer.