http://www2.journalnow.com/content/2010/feb/08/080020/terps-add-to-heels-woes/sports/
Terps add to Heels' woes
JOURNAL STAFF REPORT
Hot-shooting Maryland dealt staggering North Carolina another hard blow yesterday afternoon, taking a 92-71 win at the Comcast Center to cement its standing as a top ACC contender.
Behind guards Greivis Vasquez and Eric Hayes, Maryland blew open what was a close game with a scorching finish. UNC trailed 58-54 with 12:59 left, but jump shots, 3-pointers and easy fast-break baskets helped Maryland generate a 25-7 run to take control.
Maryland's spurt took exactly seven minutes and provided an 83-61 lead that proved insurmountable with 5:44 left.
The Tar Heels lost for the sixth time in seven games and for the seventh time in nine in continuing the plunge from the top of college basketball in the 2008-09 season to near the bottom of the ACC.
"To say we're struggling a little bit would be the understatement of my entire life," Coach Roy Williams of UNC said. "It makes no difference. Nobody's going to feel sorry for us, and they shouldn't.
"We're going to get people's best shots, and we've got to start playing better."
UNC fell to 13-10 overall and 2-6 in the ACC. Delirious Maryland students, who walked through two feet of snow to get to the game, serenaded UNC with a chant of "N-I-T" as the final two minutes ticked off the scoreboard clock.
The 21-point difference matched UNC's worst loss of the Williams coaching era for the second time this season. The previous time was an 83-64 defeat at Clemson on Jan. 13. UNC has lost five of six road games this season.
"In (22) years as a head coach, I've never been in this spot," Williams said. "But some way, some how, I've got to help the kids get out of it; 2-6 is not comfortable. It's not good."
Maryland improved to 16-6 and 6-2 by defeating UNC for the fourth time in five games, and moved into second place in the ACC alone.
Marcus Ginyard led UNC with 17 points, his biggest output since Nov. 11 in the second game of the season. Ginyard's total could not help UNC offset Vasquez and Hayes, or to play anything that resembled competent defense.
Vasquez, a senior point guard, scored 26 points and had 11 assists to continue his personal torment of UNC. A year ago he had 35 points and 10 assists in leading Maryland to an 88-85 win in overtime over UNC at the Comcast Center.
Hayes, a senior shooting guard, added 16 points by hitting five of six field-goal attempts. Vasquez and Hayes ignited an early outside-shooting performance in which Maryland made seven of its first nine 3-pointers in building a 32-16 lead. Each hit three 3-pointers in the run.
Maryland hit nine 3-pointers in building a 44-34 halftime lead. Williams said he was not pleased with his team's defense, especially in letting Vasquez and Hayes get open repeatedly for 3-pointers.
"It's awfully nice to have experienced guards," Williams said. "We said Eric was a great shooter and we had to try and make him put the ball on the floor, and he was four for five from the 3-point line, so we didn't do a very good job."
UNC pulled to 34-30 with 4:49 left in the half, but Maryland's last two 3-pointers of the half helped rebuild the lead. Maryland outscored UNC 27-6 on 3-pointers in the first half.
In the second half, Maryland shot 59.5 percent from the field. By the time that Landon Milbourne hit a 15-foot jumper over John Henson, a 6-11 freshman, Maryland's lead was 86-63 and it had made 17 of 27 field-goal attempts.
"It's very frustrating," Williams said of UNC's defense. "At times it is effort, but at times it's execution.
"You've got to be in the right spots. You can't be screened. It's also that you're not going to allow yourself to be screened. We've got to do a better job of that."
Terps add to Heels' woes
JOURNAL STAFF REPORT
Hot-shooting Maryland dealt staggering North Carolina another hard blow yesterday afternoon, taking a 92-71 win at the Comcast Center to cement its standing as a top ACC contender.
Behind guards Greivis Vasquez and Eric Hayes, Maryland blew open what was a close game with a scorching finish. UNC trailed 58-54 with 12:59 left, but jump shots, 3-pointers and easy fast-break baskets helped Maryland generate a 25-7 run to take control.
Maryland's spurt took exactly seven minutes and provided an 83-61 lead that proved insurmountable with 5:44 left.
The Tar Heels lost for the sixth time in seven games and for the seventh time in nine in continuing the plunge from the top of college basketball in the 2008-09 season to near the bottom of the ACC.
"To say we're struggling a little bit would be the understatement of my entire life," Coach Roy Williams of UNC said. "It makes no difference. Nobody's going to feel sorry for us, and they shouldn't.
"We're going to get people's best shots, and we've got to start playing better."
UNC fell to 13-10 overall and 2-6 in the ACC. Delirious Maryland students, who walked through two feet of snow to get to the game, serenaded UNC with a chant of "N-I-T" as the final two minutes ticked off the scoreboard clock.
The 21-point difference matched UNC's worst loss of the Williams coaching era for the second time this season. The previous time was an 83-64 defeat at Clemson on Jan. 13. UNC has lost five of six road games this season.
"In (22) years as a head coach, I've never been in this spot," Williams said. "But some way, some how, I've got to help the kids get out of it; 2-6 is not comfortable. It's not good."
Maryland improved to 16-6 and 6-2 by defeating UNC for the fourth time in five games, and moved into second place in the ACC alone.
Marcus Ginyard led UNC with 17 points, his biggest output since Nov. 11 in the second game of the season. Ginyard's total could not help UNC offset Vasquez and Hayes, or to play anything that resembled competent defense.
Vasquez, a senior point guard, scored 26 points and had 11 assists to continue his personal torment of UNC. A year ago he had 35 points and 10 assists in leading Maryland to an 88-85 win in overtime over UNC at the Comcast Center.
Hayes, a senior shooting guard, added 16 points by hitting five of six field-goal attempts. Vasquez and Hayes ignited an early outside-shooting performance in which Maryland made seven of its first nine 3-pointers in building a 32-16 lead. Each hit three 3-pointers in the run.
Maryland hit nine 3-pointers in building a 44-34 halftime lead. Williams said he was not pleased with his team's defense, especially in letting Vasquez and Hayes get open repeatedly for 3-pointers.
"It's awfully nice to have experienced guards," Williams said. "We said Eric was a great shooter and we had to try and make him put the ball on the floor, and he was four for five from the 3-point line, so we didn't do a very good job."
UNC pulled to 34-30 with 4:49 left in the half, but Maryland's last two 3-pointers of the half helped rebuild the lead. Maryland outscored UNC 27-6 on 3-pointers in the first half.
In the second half, Maryland shot 59.5 percent from the field. By the time that Landon Milbourne hit a 15-foot jumper over John Henson, a 6-11 freshman, Maryland's lead was 86-63 and it had made 17 of 27 field-goal attempts.
"It's very frustrating," Williams said of UNC's defense. "At times it is effort, but at times it's execution.
"You've got to be in the right spots. You can't be screened. It's also that you're not going to allow yourself to be screened. We've got to do a better job of that."
