Slip Sliding Away.
Today the Terps played their second double overtime game in less than a week. Only this time, playing on the road at Carolina, they didn't manage to come away with the win, as the deeper bench of the Tar Heels prevailed, 97-86.
Maryland had opportunities to win this one. They battled back from an early double-figure deficit to take the lead late in regulation. But they allowed that lead, as well as another slim lead in the first OT, to slip away.
Shooting a shocking 5-27 from behind the arc, it's somewhat amazing that the Terps had chances to win this one at all. But despite struggling from long-distance, Maryland didn't give up and managed to find other ways to stay in the ball game. A missed shot here, a turnover there, a foul called (or not called) . . . it was no one player or no one play that opened the door twice for the Heels to come from behind. It seemed the Terps needed just a single play or a single break to put UNC away, but each time Maryland came up short. By the 2nd OT, a tired group of Terrapins (playing without Laura Harper and Jade Perry, who both fouled out) fell behind and were unable to mount any real counter-attack to LaToya Pringle, Erlana Larkins, and their Carolina teammates. Just as the Maryland crowd last Sunday helped to will its team to victory in the 2nd OT against Georgia Tech, the Carolina-blue-clad packed-house home crowd in Carmichael Auditorium provided their team with plenty of energy and support down the stretch.
Today the Terps played their second double overtime game in less than a week. Only this time, playing on the road at Carolina, they didn't manage to come away with the win, as the deeper bench of the Tar Heels prevailed, 97-86.
Maryland had opportunities to win this one. They battled back from an early double-figure deficit to take the lead late in regulation. But they allowed that lead, as well as another slim lead in the first OT, to slip away.
Shooting a shocking 5-27 from behind the arc, it's somewhat amazing that the Terps had chances to win this one at all. But despite struggling from long-distance, Maryland didn't give up and managed to find other ways to stay in the ball game. A missed shot here, a turnover there, a foul called (or not called) . . . it was no one player or no one play that opened the door twice for the Heels to come from behind. It seemed the Terps needed just a single play or a single break to put UNC away, but each time Maryland came up short. By the 2nd OT, a tired group of Terrapins (playing without Laura Harper and Jade Perry, who both fouled out) fell behind and were unable to mount any real counter-attack to LaToya Pringle, Erlana Larkins, and their Carolina teammates. Just as the Maryland crowd last Sunday helped to will its team to victory in the 2nd OT against Georgia Tech, the Carolina-blue-clad packed-house home crowd in Carmichael Auditorium provided their team with plenty of energy and support down the stretch.
When we mentioned tired players, we weren't kidding . . . Marissa and Kristi each played the full 50 minutes. Each scored 20 points and each finished with a double-double (Marissa pulled down 13 boards and Kristi dished out 14 assists). Crystal (in 44 minutes) led the Terps with 23 points.
We suspect that the Terps are less than pleased with how this one ended. We also suspect that a loss like this will make them work harder so it doesn't happen again, and will leave them itching for a rematch . . . perhaps in March in the final of the ACC tournament.
We suspect that the Terps are less than pleased with how this one ended. We also suspect that a loss like this will make them work harder so it doesn't happen again, and will leave them itching for a rematch . . . perhaps in March in the final of the ACC tournament.
posted by BasketCases @ 5:03 PM
7 comments
7 Comments:
UNC shot 38 FTs after halftime after shooting 0 in the 1st half. No UNC player finished the game with more than 3 fouls, while virtually all of Maryland's players had 4 or 5 fouls. The refs didn't allow MD to play defense after halftime. What was called against Maryland on one end, was not whistled on the other end when UNC did the very same thing. This game was completely criminal. And the ACC Commissioner and Supervisor of Refs is a Heel and has her name hanging in Carmichael.
I keep thinking we had that game in our hands and it just slipped away from us....I PRAY we see them in the ACC...can't wait to be down Greensboro again this year
Someone was telling us they announced at the bars last night that Brenda had her twins? Any news on that?
Yea, I heard that they'd been born as well - sharing KT's birthday ... I guess they must have celebrated 3 times as much tonight then ;)
Trust us, as of this writing (Monday morning, Jan. 28), Coach B is still, as Harry Smith said on the Early Show, "soooo pregnant." :-)
-- BC
B-Cases: What's your take on all the talk that this one game moved the Terps from a #1 seed to a #2 seed? I find it a bit curious that of two teams that fought so closely for 50 min, into 2 overtimes - one was slated to move to a #2 seed by the basketball prognosticators.
With the Rutger's loss today, and assuming the Terps have a convincing win tomorrow, they should be back in the top 4 by weeks end ... and the seedings I think will almost definitely be decided when UMD and UNC face off in the ACC finals. It's too early to even care about seedings at this stage though, in my opinion. It's just talk.
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