Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Maryland dominates Miami, moves to 4-1 in ACC

For the first time in a while (or at least that I can remember), Maryland has won three straight ACC games in convincing fashion. First, the Terps went to Boston College and won handily, and then they came home and blew out N.C. State and Miami (with a victory over Longwood thrown in for good measure).

Greivis Vasquez is the Terps' best player, but by no means has he had to carry them to victory in any of those games. Right now the Terps are sharing the ball and have a balanced attack, and last night's game was no different. Vasquez and Landon Milbourne each had 16 points, with Eric Hayes and Sean Mosley each chipping in 10. Jordan Williams and Dino Gregory each had eight points, and Adrian Bowie had nine. Vasquez also dished out a game-high nine assists.

The Terps (14-5, 4-1) played suffocating defense in the first half, which led to plenty of turnovers for Miami (15-5, 1-5) and a large share of fast-break opportunities and free throws for Maryland. Not only did Miami shoot just 38.3 percent from the field, but the Hurricanes had just five assists -- and 16 turnovers. Maryland, on the other hand, shot over 50 percent from the field and accumulated 19 assists before getting a little sloppy in the second half with the game already decided and ending up with 11 turnovers.

The scariest thing about the Terps is that Gary Williams already seems to have figured out a solid eight-man rotation. Vasquez-Hayes-Mosley-Milbourne-Williams is a strong starting lineup, and Bowie, Cliff Tucker, and Gregory all bring something to the table when they come off the bench. All eight players possess position flexibility, which gives Gary Williams plenty of lineup options and combinations to utilize in various game situations. The Terps are versatile; most of them can handle the ball, slash to the basket, and shoot. And opposing teams have to respect that.

After playing three straight home games, the Terps go on the road to face No. 21 Clemson on Sunday.

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