Notebook

Indiana bench fails when it counts in title game

A.J. Moye sulks in the locker room following Indiana's loss. AP

ATLANTA (AP) -- Indiana's reserves let the Hoosiers down when it counted the most Monday night.

They scored 11 points in the Hoosiers' 64-52 loss to Maryland -- the same amount the Terrapins got from its backups -- but Indiana had been relying heavily on Jeff Newton and A.J. Moye.

Newton scored 18 points in the Hoosiers' semifinal victory against Oklahoma, and Moye added nine. Donald Perry stung the Sooners with a career-high 10, and even little-used George Leach played a role in that game, finishing with three points, two rebounds and two blocks in six minutes.

With starters Jared Jeffries and Tom Coverdale struggling, no one took up the slack. Indiana's top two scorers had just eight apiece, and shot a combined 7-for-22.

Moye and Perry also had turnovers down the stretch during the Terrapins' decisive 16-7 run.

"I think Maryland did a great job scouting the bench," Perry said. "I couldn't ever get a rhythm out there. We'd make a little run and come back, and then we'd make key turnovers to let them take the lead again."

Maryland didn't need much help from its backups, with Juan Dixon, Lonny Baxter and Chris Wilcox totaling 43 points. Drew Nicholas had seven points in 22 minutes backing up Dixon, Steve Blake and Byron Mouton, and Tahj Holden and Ryan Randle added two each in spot duty.

"Everybody talked about how they had a better bench than us," Holden said. "We wanted to make sure we showed everybody we were better."

No surprise -- Maryland dominates all- Final Four team

Final Four MVP Juan Dixon and Maryland teammates Lonny Baxter and Chris Wilcox topped the all-Final Four team.

"I am so proud of everyone on this team," Dixon said. "Lonny and me beat the odds and led our team to a title. I can't put into words how excited I am now."

It was quite a comeback for Baxter, who finished with just four points before fouling out in Maryland's semifinal victory against Kansas. He had 15 points and 14 rebounds against the Hoosiers.

"I just wanted to come in and be a force down low," Baxter said. "Just play to my ability, just play as hard as I could to win this national championship."

They were joined by Indiana's Dane Fife and Kyle Hornsby. Hornsby had 14 points in the final, and Fife had two key 3-pointers in the second half when the Hoosiers rallied to take a brief lead.

Maryland's Williams takes trip down memory lane

Maryland head coach Gary Williams, while a junior at the school, sneaked into Cole Field House to watch the 1966 NCAA championship game.

"I don't think I realized how significant it was. That game became more significant as time went by," Williams said of the historic game that saw five black starters lead Texas Western past an all-white Kentucky team.

It wasn't until after the game that Williams heard anything about the difference in the teams.

"Some of the things that were said about Texas Western, the fact that they started five black guys, how could they play as well as Kentucky because they had all the splits off the post, how complicated their offense was," he said.

"It was really a great game to watch as a fan, to see two teams really play well. I think that's how the players in that game felt."

A South Jersey native, Williams spent his summers competing against a racial mix of players in Camden, N.J. Teammate Billy Jones, who joined the Terrapins in 1965, was the first black player in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Bad shooting night for Hoosiers

Indiana, which trailed Maryland by six at halftime, shot only 32 percent in the first half and was just 4-for-20 from inside the 3-point line.

But the Hoosiers were several missed shots away from the record for lowest field-goal percentage. Washington State shot 22 percent in the 1941 championship game.

The Terrapins shot 45 percent in the first half, but were just 1-for-3 on 3-pointers.

Flag ceremony conjures Sept. 11 memories

The American flag that flew over the World Trade Center on Sept. 11 was used during the national anthem before Monday night's game.

Port Authority Police Department of New York and New Jersey officers Brian Toohey, Nat Harris and Tom Hoey presented the colors with assistance from three Atlanta police officers.

Davis jokes after Newton's surprise semifinal showing

Indiana head coach Mike Davis expects sophomore Jared Jeffries to be an early entry for the NBA draft.

After Jeff Newton's performance Saturday night against Oklahoma, Davis joked he might be losing another player early.

Newton, a reserve most of the season, stepped in with Jeffries in foul trouble and scored a career-high 19 points in the victory against the Sooners.

"If Jeff plays any better, he'll probably put his name in the NBA draft next week," Davis said, joking.

Different foe, different result

One of Maryland's four losses this season was a 72-56 setback to Oklahoma on Dec. 21.

Oklahoma's semifinal loss to Indiana ruined a rematch in the final, but Terrapins guard Juan Dixon wasn't disappointed.

"Our goal was just to try to make it here," he said. "We weren't going to worry about any other teams. We took it one game at a time all season long."

Top-seeded Maryland is the first team in NCAA tournament history to reach the title game by facing the highest-possible seed in every round. Since beating No. 16 Siena in the opening round, the Terrapins faced No. 8 Wisconsin, No. 4 Kentucky, No. 2 Connecticut and No. 1 Kansas.

Hoosiers don't deny athletic gap

There's a perception that Indiana's players aren't as athletic as Maryland's, a notion seconded by Hoosiers guard Dane Fife.

When asked if Indiana is more athletic than people realize, Fife said quickly, "No."

Teammate Kyle Hornsby defended the team.

"I think we just know how to play well together," he said. "But we're athletic enough to do the job and get the job done. That's what it all comes down to."

Davis got a lesson in that during preseason conditioning when he challenged three Hoosiers -- Hornsby, Tom Coverdale and Fife -- to a race.

"I would challenge them because I was watching them run," Davis said. "I said, 'I can outrun those guys.' I ended up pulling a hamstring trying to do it."

Party time for both schools

Maryland and Indiana will hold celebrations for their teams on their campuses Tuesday.

The Hoosiers, who plan to arrive in Bloomington, Ind., about noon, will go straight to Assembly Hall and be greeted by fans. There's also a pep rally for the men's and women's teams Wednesday night.

Maryland radio play-by-play announcer Johnny Holliday serves as master of ceremonies for the Terrapins' greeting at Cole Field House. The team expects to get back from Atlanta by 2 p.m.

 

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