Backing Up

With a three hour drive facing us following tonight's game against the Hoos, a different outcome would have made the miles go by much faster.

Had the Terps won, we would have spent the trip reliving the highlights and excitement of the game. Unfortunately, the highlight of our trip to Charlottesville today took place before the game, in the parking lot of the John Paul Jones Arena, as we waited in our car for the Arena doors to open. Sitting there, we watched in amazement as a mature driver in a huge Chevy pickup attempted to back into one of about 600 empty parking spaces. We stopped counting after her 10th try -- including one where she backed up over a curb. But, finally, the driver got it right. Or so we thought. Apparently, she felt she was too close to one of the lines. So she pulled out and did it all over again . . . and backed up over the curb.

That's pretty much how tonight's game felt to us. The Terps did a good deal right --for awhile --- and took a 39-31 lead into the locker room at the half. But after the break, they backed up over the curb (turning the ball over, flubbing out-of-bounds plays, giving up easy transition baskets . . . allowing the Hoos to score 58 points in the second half!) and took themselves right out of the game, losing 81-89.

And in some respects, that's what tonight's loss did to the Terps' ACC standing. A win in Charlottesville would have kept Maryland tied with Duke and Boston College for second in the conference. Instead, after the big move forward of Sunday's win over the 'Heels, the Terps shifted into Reverse and backed up. Hopefully, the team will regroup this weekend and shift back into Drive on Monday when they face ACC-leading Florida State on the road in Tallahassee.