Shortening Maryland's memory
Terrapins aim to forget deflating defeat to No. 2 Duke
Posted: Monday January 04, 1999 05:56 PM
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Duke's Elton Brand dominated his matchup with Maryland's Obinna Ekezie (right), scoring 19 points and 13 rebounds AP |
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) -- Maryland's devastating loss to Duke caused the Terrapins to take a tumble in both the conference standings and the latest Associated Press poll.
That was the immediate impact. Coach Gary Williams must now make sure the humbling 82-64 defeat Sunday doesn't have a lasting effect on a team that still has the potential to enjoy unprecedented success.
The tangible damage caused by the loss to the second-ranked Blue Devils was minimal -- the Terps dropped from No. 4 to No. 5 in the poll released Monday and lost a share of first place in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
There still are nearly two months left in the regular season, so a slight drop in the rankings or standings is not a big deal. But the Terrapins (13-2, 1-1 ACC) know they must tighten up on defense and improve their half-court attack to become a serious threat to earn a berth in the Final Four.
Against Duke, Maryland committed eight turnovers and missed nine of 10 shots during a critical eight-minute stretch of the second half.
"They played well and we didn't. I don't know how they did it to us, but they did it again," said Laron Profit, who scored only eight points on 3-for-12 shooting in absorbing his sixth loss in eight games against Duke.
"I'd say I'm more frustrated than disappointed at the way we played as a team. We didn't play the way Maryland should be playing," said guard Steve Francis, who scored only one point after halftime and finished 3-for-14 from the field.
The Terrapins certainly didn't perform the way they did over the first two months of the season, when they averaged 90 points per game on 52 percent shooting.
Maryland shot only 37 percent against Duke, and by midway through the second half the outcome was not in doubt. The only question now is: Can the Terrapins recover from such a deflating defeat at home?
"We'll be all right," Williams said. "We can't let this disappointment affect our next game. It's time to be tough."
Maryland tries to get back on track Thursday at Virginia. Then comes a home game Sunday against North Carolina State, followed by a trip to North Carolina on Jan. 13.
Against Duke, Maryland's half-court offense was ineffective after the Blue Devils made a concentrated effort to choke the Terrapins' lethal transition game.
"We have to learn how to play when teams get in our passing lanes and we can't run our offense," center Obinna Ekezie said. "We have to make adjustments. We didn't do that against Duke."
"Earlier in the season there were some good things said about our team," Williams said. "Now there will probably be some things said that we won't like. But you have to use it to your benefit."
The Terrapins still have two months to iron out the flaws. Then in March they will attempt to go where no Maryland team has yet ventured -- the Final Four.
"We want Maryland to be a great program," Williams said. "We are close."
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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