No. 4 Maryland Takes On No. 2 Illinois In Tuesday Showdown At Cole
11/26/2001 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 26, 2001
Maryland vs. Illinois Game Notes in PDF Format
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COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Maryland (No. 5 AP, No. 4 USA Today/ESPN) hosts Illinois (No. 2 AP/No. 2 USA Today/ESPN) in the first game of the 2001 ACC/Big Ten Challenge, in what is the third straight season - and fourth in five years - that the Terps and Illini have met on the hardwood. Tipoff is 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 27, in a game televised nationally on ESPN. It is the nation's first clash of Top 5 teams this season.
* Last year's Maui Invitational featured a semifinal matchup featuring No. 6 Maryland against No. 8 Illinois. The Illini outmuscled the Terps for a 90-80 final score. Two years ago, the No. 24 Terrapins upset No. 16 Illinois in the semifinals of the BB&T Classic at the MCI Center, 69-67.
* The ACC defeated the Big Ten in last year's ACC/Big 10 Challenge, 5-4. Maryland lost the only overtime game of the Challenge last season, falling 78-75 against Wisconsin in Milwaukee. The Illini, just one week after battling Maryland in the Maui Invitational, fell 78-77 to Duke in a game played at Greensboro, N.C.
* Illinois visits Cole Field House as the highest-ranked non-conference opponent since Maryland upset No. 1 Notre Dame on Jan. 27, 1979 (67-66). It is just the fifth time that Maryland has played host to a Top 5 non-league opponent at Cole, and only the second Top 5 showdown in Cole Field House history.
* The Maryland vs. Illinois affair is the first Top 10 showdown at Cole Field House between non-league teams since a rising young coach named Gary Williams guided No. 6 Boston College against the No. 8 Terrapins on Dec. 24, 1983. Maryland defeated the Eagles, 89-76 on Christmas Eve.
* Maryland enters the ACC/Big Ten Challenge with three straight victories. Last Saturday, the Terrapins got double-double performances from Lonny Baxter and Chris Wilcox as Maryland outlasted Delaware State 77-53. Maryland outrebounded the Hornets 31-12 in the second half to help stretch a 16-point halftime advantage. Delaware State was held to 29 percent shooting to mark the ninth time in Maryland's last 13 games - dating to last season - that a Terrapin opponent failed to shoot 40 percent from the field. Baxter finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Wilcox had career-highs of 16 points and 10 boards. Juan Dixon was also in double figures with 13 points.
TERP STREAKS
* Maryland owns the nation's longest non-conference homecourt win streak which spans 79 games and more than 11 years. The Terps' last non-league home defeat was on Dec. 12, 1989 vs. Coppin State. The streak began on Dec. 30, 1989 against Alcorn State.
* Maryland has played 118 consecutive home games at Cole Field House since suffering consecutive home defeats. The last time Maryland lost back-to-back home dates was during the 1992-93 season.
* Maryland has won three straight overall, defeating No. 16 Temple, American and Delaware State.
* The Terps own a five-game home win streak dating to last season, with end-of-the-year victories over NC State, No. 16 Oklahoma and No. 7 Virginia.
* Counting the final month of the 2001 season when the Terps played five NCAA Tournament games and won 10 of their last 12, Maryland has won 13 of its last 16 games.
RECORDS AND RANKINGS
* Maryland is 3-1 after opening its season at the Coaches vs. Cancer IKON Classic, and beating American and Delaware State. The Terrapins finished their 2001 season with a 25-11 record and their first trip to the Final Four.
* Illinois is 5-0 after a win over Gonzaga and four straight victories to capture the Las Vegas Invitational last week. To win the LVI, the Illini beat Eastern Illinois, Penn, Georgia Tech and Southern Illinois. Last season, Illinois tied for the Big Ten title before losing to Arizona in the NCAA Midwest Region championship to finish 27-8.
* Maryland is No. 5 by the Associated Press this week and No. 4 in the USA Today/ESPN coaches poll. Illinois is No. 2 in both polls. Other Maryland opponents and ACC teams in this week's rankings (AP, USA Today/ESPN): Duke (1,1), Illinois (2, 2), Arizona (4, 3), Virginia (9, 8), Wake Forest (25, 23).
