MD - UNC Notes

Chances of Making the Tournament: 3% (up from 0.00001% earlier in the day)
NBA Chances (to play at least 82 games in career): Vasquez (40%) and Gist (25%)

Sweetest win for MD in the Dean Dome since February 20, 1986.

This was a game that I would have bet the house on UNC to cover the 19-point spread.

MD simply wouldn't die. Down by four with a minute and change left and Vasquez hits a huge shot in the lane to cut it in half; then, hits two clutch free throws.

Weird game commentary - as can be expected when Musburger and Lavin get the call. You had to like the comments regarding Ted Williams being among the 2 million living Americans with a Williams surname. These guys must be the only two people in America who were not aware that Ted died six years ago. They must have also missed the news clip soon thereafter when Ted's son jammed Ted's head into a pickle jar and sent it to a cryonics lab for storage.

Maybe, they are counting Teddy Ballgame as still living based on their belief in cryonics. Call my crazy, I just don't see Ted Williams playing again.

Brent was also sharp in the first half when he got mixed up and complimented Ginyard for making a three-pointer for MD (made by Milbourne).

The refs favored Hansborough all game long. That play in the first minutes of the game where he fouled Osby and walked after getting the offensive rebound without either being called set the tone early on.

Gist: Best game of his career. . . 22 and 13. . . clearly outplayed Hansborough in the Dean Dome.

Vasquez: Best game of the season. . . 12 pts, 11 dimes, 6 boards, and 23 shoulder-shrugs during a 50-second post-game interview. . . He may have separated his shoulder if that interview would have gone on any longer. . . 6 turn-overs are to be expected since he is playing out of position on the road against the number one team in the nation.

Osby: Clutch all day long. . . Man among boys in the lane. . . performance was much larger than his stat line of 12 pts and 5 boards. . . shocked that he didn't pick up more than three fouls with his aggressive play. . . if he would have fouled out, Hansborough would have had his way late in the game.

Milbourne: Best game of the season. . . 14 points in key situations.

Hayes: Hit two huge treys. . . still hobbled by the ankle. . . Vasquez needs Hayes back healthy to take over the point duties; that is the only way that Vasquez doesn't break the all-time MD single season record for turn-overs.

Tucker: Best game of the season. . . 8 points in twenty solid minutes.

Four guys with their best game of the season in the same game. Amazing.

I was surprised that Dupree only played one minute.

You had the enjoy the tears flowing from the UNC fans after the game. It is a freakin regular season game. Idiots. UNC has at least two more losses prior to NCAA tournament time. I would bet against UNC making the final four. Their depth after Hansborough, Lawson, and Ellington is average at best. GW showed how you can take away Hansborough and limit Lawson's quickness. If Ellington has an off-night, UNC is beatable.

Story of the game: MD only had ten turn-overs. GW clearly outcoached Roy Williams. UNC should have mixed in a zone defense on a few possessions when Hayes wasn't on the floor. Also, UNC should have pressed MD knowing Vasquez's propensity to turn it over and Lawson's ability to take it away.

The Terps are 2 - 2 in the ACC and 12 - 7 overall. They need to win 7 of their remaining 12 games heading into the ACC tournament to make the NCAA.

American must be thinking about putting UNC on next year's schedule.