Talk About Heart. Talk about a never say die attitude. Talk about an amazing comeback. Talk about the Terps!Maryland's ACC home opener tonight against Georgia Tech (which the BCs could not be at in person but at least got to see from the comfort of our couch, at home . . . that is, during those few stretches when we managed to remain seated) was one UNBELIEVABLE ballgame!
If you were in the arena, you probably took comfort in knowing that Maryland games are staffed with EMTs (and defibrilators) . . . just in case. At home, we were screaming (and groaning, at times) so much we worried that our neighbors might dial 9-1-1, thinking maybe we were victims of a home invasion.
The Terps were down 11 at the half. Then, less than 3 minutes after the break, the Yellow Jackets extend their lead to (a seemingly insurmountable) 20 points. Groan.
Some teams and players would've quit. Not Maryland. And especially not Super Duper Soph Alyssa Thomas. Down 20? No problem! That's when heart and hustle take over . . . for some teams, and some players.
We assume you were watching (from the stands or on TV). So you saw how the Terps battled back, clawed back, willed themselves back from that 20-point deficit.
With 8 minutes left, the Terps narrowed the gap to just 2 points. But Georgia Tech is one tough, scrappy opponent. They hung in there and even stretched their lead again to 8. And then, with 4 minutes left to play, the Maryland Sophomores took over. In those final 240 seconds, the Terps outscored GT, 11-2. Nine of those 11 points came from the underclassmen. And when Alyssa put her team ahead with a mere 17 seconds left in the game (the first time the Terps led in the second half), the roar of the Comcast crowd was incredible (even listening on TV)!
AT's and-one was followed by a free-throw by Laurin in the final 2 seconds; Georgia Tech missed a Hail Mary three, and Maryland won!!! Final score, 77-74. After an amazing, roller-coaster of a ride, the Terps fans stood and cheered their team for a win that proved one thing: this team has HEART!
Not surprisingly, Alyssa led all scorers with 24 points (18 of them in the second half). She grabbed 11 boards for a double-double, and was perfect from the free throw line, hitting 10 of 10. (Overall, the Terps made an impressive 22 of 24 FT attempts.) Alicia DeVaughn also had a double-double (11 points and 11 rebounds), while Laurin Mincy (17 points) and Lynetta Kizer (10 points) also scored in double figures.
It will be hard to top this game for excitement this season. Next up for the 15-0 (2-0 ACC) Terps: a road game against the always venomous Tar Heels on Sunday at 1 PM (you can follow the action on Comcast Sportsnet in the DC area).
Go Terps . . . BEAT UNC!
Saturday Morning Update: Alyssa's go-ahead basket, with 17 seconds remaining, is #6 on ESPN's Sports Center Top 10 plays of the day! BTW, if you want to watch this "instant classic" again . . . Comcast SportsNet (RSN) is rebroadcasting it today at noon.
posted by BasketCases @ 11:58 PM
7 comments
7 Comments:
Great effort by Thomas in the second half. Her scoring was critical.
ALYSSA IS CERTAINLY SPECIAL. ALYSSA HAS THAT MENTAL FRAMEWORK TO PLAY AT SUCH A HIGH LEVEL. MINCY AND DEVAUGHN WERE SPECIAL ALSO - I LIKE HOW ALICIA IS DEVELOPING. YES, AM LOOKING FORWARD TO SUNDAY IN NORTH CAROLINA.
Wow--AT is just incredible. She willed herself and her team to the win. Amazing. Reminded me of Coleman in the NCAA's against Vanderbilt. Mincy also in the last 4 minutes hit 2 key buckets--one was a 3 point play off the drive to the basket. But, AT--HOLY COW.
Next up NC on Sunday at 1pm--wow, the Terps have a rough schedule. I'll be watching on Sunday.
An unbelievable effort by AT. And BTW, the game is also available on ESPN3 where I just finished watching parts. Kudos to Debbie Antonelli for calling out AT's charge after her second basket in that incredible run.
One of the things I liked about the game was seeing how Coach B. got the Terps to adjust to Gtech's press. GTech were well-prepared and well-coached, and their press gave the Terps fits. In the second half, however, the Terps looked to make the short, quick pass rather than dribbling more or less helplessly into the trapping zones of the court. Don't have any stats, but I thought they broke the press more often in the second half, although they still turned the ball over too often, and foolishly to boot.
One of the things I didn't like about the game was what appeared to me to be flagrant fouling. The refs seemed to waver back and forth--now calling in favor of GTech, now in favor of MD. They could have kept the game under better control. I thought Laurin almost got gang-tackled near the GTech bench at the end of the game.
All in all, a great test for the Terps and a good indication of how strong the ACC is this year.
I watched the recast on Comcast. Very disappointing. They showed the whole game until the score became 56 to 36. Then they jumped ahead to a score or 57 - 53. You didn't get to enjoy the unbelivable comeback. Come on Comcast. Show the whole game and cut all the damn commercials. If time restraints are too much, then show it at a different time. But I am so happy I was at the game. The first half the team looked frustrated, but the second half showed what a great team this is. Beat UNC. I'll be watching.
Great win for the Terps against a terrific GT team. How can they not be ranked?
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