Feb. 19, 2000

Box Score

By JOE MACENKA
AP Sports Writer

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) - Playing No. 22 Maryland is becoming a losing proposition for Atlantic Coast Conference opponents. Take away one facet of their game, and the Terrapins find another way to beat you.

Outhustled down low and harassed into front-line foul trouble by Wake Forest, the Terrapins compensated by making nine of 18 3-point attempts Saturday, including a 7-for-13 showing in the first half.

The result was a 73-67 victory that ran the Terrapins' ACC winning streak to six games, a run in which Maryland has made a combined 52 percent of its field-goal attempts.

"Hey, we can shoot," Maryland guard Juan Dixon said. "People think we're all about speed and power, but we're definitely a good shooting team, too."

Dixon made three of six from beyond the 3-point arc and finished with 20 points as Maryland (19-7, 8-4 ACC) won its third consecutive conference game on the road and swept Wake Forest for the first time since 1993-94.

Terence Morris scored 15 of his 17 in the second half and added seven rebounds and four assists, helping the Terrapins win for the eighth time in nine league games after an 0-3 start.

"It was never really pretty, but we've got some guys with a lot of heart," said coach Gary Williams, whose Terrapins shot 49 percent.

Maryland turned up the defensive pressure late, holding Wake Forest without a field goal over the final eight-plus minutes, when the Demon Deacons missed their final 13 shots.

"I've been there, too," Williams said. "The ball just won't go in for you. They did everything right they had to but score."

The Demon Deacons (14-12, 5-8) lost for the eighth time in 11 games, further damaging their bid to finish fourth or better in the ACC standings for the eighth consecutive season.

The road immediately ahead doesn't look any easier for the Demon Deacons, who play at league-leading Duke on Tuesday.

"This was a game that we needed badly," coach Dave Odom said. "I'm very disappointed we didn't win. We had our chances."

Wake Forest's Darius Songaila had 22 points and 12 rebounds, but the Demon Deacons got just two points from top offensive threat Robert O'Kelley, who missed eight of his nine field-goal attempts.

"We need Robert to do the things that he does best," Odom said. "But I think the flip side of that is our team played on. And in some games the last year or so, our team hasn't played on."

Josh Howard added 11 points for Wake Forest and Rafael Vidaurreta and Ervin Murray each had 10.

The Demon Deacons outrebounded Maryland 42-31 and scored 18 points off 15 turnovers, but it wasn't enough to make up for the lowest-scoring day in O'Kelley's three seasons at Wake Forest.

"I've never been this bad," O'Kelley said.

Maryland's final 3-pointer, a shot from the left wing by Morris, made it 58-46 with 13:01 remaining, the Terrapins' biggest lead.

But Maryland missed its next eight field-goal attempts and turned it over once, clearing the way for Wake Forest to score the next nine points. A pair of free throws by Songaila made it 58-55 with 7:38 left.

The Demon Deacons kept it tight the rest of the way, coming as close as 68-66 on two foul shots by Songaila at the 1:32 mark.

But Maryland sealed it by making five of seven free throws the rest of the way.

The latest meeting was a stark contrast to their last game, when the Terrapins bolted to an 18-2 lead and rolled to a 22-point victory Jan. 19 in College Park, Md.

The Demon Deacons opened Saturday's contest by forcing 11 first-half turnovers and converting them into 14 points, helping them stretch their lead to seven before Maryland closed the half with a 19-5 run. The Terrapins hit four 3-pointers in the surge, which put them up 40-33 at halftime.