February 21, 1999
Box Score
ATLANTA (AP) - The last thing an opponent wants to do is annoy Steve
Francis. Georgia Tech learned the hard way Sunday.
The Maryland star, spurred by a trash-talking exchange with injured Tech
player Dion Glover, scored 22 points - many on in-your-face dunks - and sparked
the No. 5 Terrapins on defense with five steals in a 91-60 victory.
Maryland, which blew out the Yellow Jackets with a 26-4 run to close the
first half, clinched second place in the Atlantic Coast Conference with a week
left in the regular season.
"That was between him and me," Francis said of his war of words with
Glover, sidelined all season with a knee injury but within sparring range on
the Tech bench. "It was a motivational thing, but we shook hands after the
game."
Glover hoped to distract Francis, but only seemed to spur one of the
nation's top players to greater heights.
"We did some trash-talking," Glover said. "There was nothing meant by it.
I guess he got upset because he responded very well. I try to talk to our
opponents, get inside their heads. It didn't work today."
Laron Profit added 17 points for the Terrapins, who created numerous
fast-break chances with a stifling defense that had 11 steals in the first half
and 18 for the game.
The Terrapins (23-4, 11-3 ACC) eclipsed the school record for steals in a
season with 342, breaking the mark of 329 set in 1995-96.
"That's the best we've played in a while," coach Gary Williams said.
Georgia Tech (14-13, 5-9), which lost for the sixth time in seven games, led
27-24 on Alvin Jones' hook shot with 5:21 left in the first half.
Maryland scored the next 11 points, beating Tech down the court for three
straight easy baskets before Francis hit a 3-pointer. The Yellow Jackets broke
the run when Jason Collier scored on a goaltending call, but relief was only
temporary.
Brian Watkins hit a turnaround jumper and Profit hit four straight free
throws when Georgia Tech was forced to foul in a futile attempt to slow the
Terrapins.
The Yellow Jackets managed only two free throws the rest of the half while
the Terrapins kept running and gunning.
Profit connected on a 3, Francis dunked for the third time in the half off
another Tech turnover and Juan Dixon finished the half by rebounding a missed
shot and flipping in the ball as the buzzer sounded, giving Maryland a 50-31
lead.
"What can I say?" Tech coach Bobby Cremins said. "That spurt in the first
half was just incredible. ... We were right where we wanted to be and then,
boom, it just exploded. Maryland is a great team and Stevie Francis is
something else."
Francis, thoroughly enjoying his 21st birthday, kept on dunking in the
second half, including the most spectacular play of the game. The 6-foot-3
guard showed his quickness by leaving Tony Akins behind, then dunked over the
7-foot Collier. Even the intense Williams managed a grin after that play.
Francis scored some points with his verbal skills, too. "That's part of the
game," Akins said. "He does it well."
Jones, hobbling noticeably after spraining his left ankle in the first half,
had 18 points and 14 rebounds. Only a sophomore, he also had two blocks to
become Tech's career leader in that category with 244, eclipsing John Salley's
mark of 243 set from 1983-86.
That was about the only bright spot for the Yellow Jackets, who shot 34
percent from the field, including a 2-of-12 performance by the freshman Akins.
Collier scored 15 points but also had nine turnovers. Overall, the Yellow
Jackets gave it up 24 times, leading to 28 points.
"We were playing well enough to lead, then it all came unglued," said
Akins, who was 1-of-9 from outside the 3-point line. "We took some bad
shots."
Maryland will be the No. 2 seed in the ACC tournament behind Duke, which
already has clinched the regular-season title with a 15-0 conference record.
