Passing Grade. Seventy-five percent is usually good enough to pass most exams, and that's exactly the score the BasketCases give the Terps for their performance this afternoon against the Cavs. The Terps played very well for the first thirty minutes of the game. They built an insurmountable lead of 28 points with about 14 minutes left, and then pretty much disappeared for the last 10 minutes or so, allowing the lead to trickle down to single digits by the closing buzzer, winning 83-74.

Before Maryland took its unscheduled vacation, both Crystal Langhorne and Marissa Coleman had already put up double-doubles -- in fact, they each hit that mark before halftime. Three other Terps -- Kristi, Shay, and Jade -- also finished the game in double figures.

Today's game at the new John Paul Jones Arena (not named for the naval hero but for the father of a Virginia alum with a very big checkbook) attracted a season-high crowd, including a sizable contingent of Maryland fans. A busload of Rebounders made the trek, as did many others who arrived on their own, including fans from Kristi Toliver's hometown of Harrisonburg, Virginia. The Arena itself is gorgeous, with terrific sight lines and the best Jumbotron screen we've ever seen. However, the BasketCases found the Arena a bit less than state-of-the art when it came to some basic amenities, like restrooms (hello, women need more than four stalls for an entire section!) and food concessions (not enough!).

Speaking of food, if you're ever in Charlottesville and are looking for a really exceptional meal, the BasketCases highly recommend the Ivy Inn. Our dinner last night was so wonderful, we can't wait to go again when the Terps play the Cavs next season.