The Maryland Terrapins Stay Positive Despite Recent Defeats

After two tough losses on the road to the Miami Hurricanes and the Florida St. Seminoles, the Maryland Terrapins (12-5) are desperately seeking a win tonight versus the Virginia Cavaliers.

They are back at Comcast Center, for their first home game against an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent this season.

Three out of their next four games are to be played in College Park.

The Terps cannot fall further behind in the ACC standings and expect to get an NCAA bid this year, as is the goal every season.

Coming into this contest, Maryland has the bitter memory of an overtime loss to Florida St. eating away at them.

Missed free throws and poor decision making by leading scorer, Greivis Vasquez led to the 76-73 defeat in Tallahassee, Florida on Saturday afternoon.

Vasquez (17.1 points per game average) mustered only six points and made two of his 13 shot attempts.

On what amounted to the game changing play, Vasquez decided to drive the land hard. He found forward Landon Milbourne about two feet from the basket, and threw the ball into a ton of traffic. Milbourne went up for a short score, but he was whistled for a traveling violation.

The Seminoles (15-3) made the defensive stop they needed and the “w” was secure.

With No. 2 in the nation Duke Blue Devils and No. 4 in the nation North Carolina Tar Heels still looming on their schedule, the Terrapins have to get back to what they do best. They need to start their patented “press” and stay aggressive in the passing lanes.

No giving up an inch on the man-to-man defensive schemes Coach Williams wants executed. In the last two Florida games Williams has implemented a 3-2 zone defense that has had mixed results.

Maryland’s lack of inside post presence is amplified if they can’t get out and run.

All of last week’s drudgery has the team more focused on the tasks in front of them.

Even as you fail, you must persevere.

Junior guard Eric Hayes was quoted in the Washington Times expressing a positive attitude amid the humbling defeats.

“We came into two tough places to play, and we should have won both games there,” said Hayes.  “We had chances to win, and we just didn’t do it.  We definitely showed we can play with anybody on the road.  When we get down, we are never out of the game.”

A player must learn from his mistakes and move on. So it is a good sign that the Terrapins have no intentions on giving up on their season. You win together, and you lose together. Everyone knows that Virginia is for lovers.

Let us pray that Maryland is for winners, after tonight’s battle in the beltway. 

Notes:

Junior guard Greivis Vasquez failed to score in double figures for the second time this season, but still leads the team in rebounds per game with an 6.2 average.

Since moving into the starting lineup, sophomore guard Adrian Bowie has averaged 10.6 points per game and has scored in double figures in six of 11 games played.

Player rotation: Usual starters—G Greivis Vasquez, G Eric Hayes, G Adrian Bowie, F David Neal, F Landon Milbourne

Key Subs:  F Dino Gregory, G Sean Moseley, C Braxton Dupree