Maryland vs. Duke, Part Deux
Written by DCist contributor Brett Gellman
The Maryland Terrapins (16-8, 6-3 ACC) travel to Durham tonight to take on #2 Duke (21-1, 9-0 ACC) in a nationally televised conference showdown on ESPN. The Terps, who have been red hot after a dismal December that included losses to Ohio and American, have won six of their last seven games. Their lone loss during that stretch was, yep, to the Blue Devils.
The first time Maryland and Duke battled it out was just a couple of weeks ago, when the Terps handed the Blue Devils their first halftime deficit of the season. But Duke came roaring back in the second half and gave the Terps their third conference loss, 93-84, in College Park. Since then, Maryland has played their best basketball to date. Gary Williams deserves praise for turning around a team that couldn't even score 60 points against a program from Tenleytown just a few months ago. Williams earned his 600th win last Wednesday after coaching his team to victory against Boston College, and was honored for his achievements last Saturday night at the Comcast Center when the Terps proceeded to defeat NC State for win #601.
The Maryland-Duke rivalry has always been one to watch, and tonight's match-up should be no different. Seniors James Gist and Bambale Osby have provided Maryland with a formidable front-court threat that stacks up among the best in the ACC. While Duke lacks a physical post presence, it hasn't stopped the Blue Devils from leading the conference in field goal shooting. Freshman phenom Kyle Singler was kept in check during the teams' first encounter, but Gerald Henderson and Demarcus Nelson proved to be too much for the Terps when they combined to score 50 points. Meanwhile, Terrapin guard Greivis Vasquez currently leads the ACC in assists and will most likely be the target of the Cameron Crazies tonight. Tip-off at Cameron Indoor Stadium is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Like we mentioned in Hey Sport! this week, the #4 Maryland women (25-2, 9-1 ACC) have won three straight after a heartbreaking double-overtime loss to #3 North Carolina just a few weeks ago. Laura Harper, Marissa Coleman and Kristi Toliver all netted double doubles in their victory against Virginia, 86-80. Coach Brenda Frese, who looks like she's about to deliver her set of twins at any minute (and coaching from the sidelines in her executive office chair), has led her team to an undefeated home record at the Comcast Center. The Terrapins host Boston College tomorrow night before traveling to #12 Duke this Sunday.