Dec. 8, 2001
Maryland vs. Detroit Game Notes in PDF Format
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COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Maryland (No. 3 AP, No. 2 USA Today/ESPN) hosts Detroit with hopes of extending its nation's longest non-conference home court win streak to 81 games. The Terps and Titans play before a national television audience on FOX Sports Net - the first of six Sunday night FOX appearances this season for the Terps as part of the ACC's new 10-year contract with the national cable network. Tipoff on Sunday, Dec. 9 is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
* It is the first meeting between the two schools, and for Gary Williams the first time he has ever coached against the Titans.
* Maryland returned to its No. 2 ranking when the USA Today/ESPN coaches poll was released last weekend. The ranking matches Maryland's preseason ranking in the Associated Press poll, and matches the highest ranking in Terrapin history.
* Maryland is at least 6-1 after seven games under Gary Williams for the eighth time in his 13 seasons in College Park. A win over Detroit would produce at least a 7-1 mark for the sixth time during his tenure at Maryland.
* Maryland became the first back-to-back champion of the BB&T Classic last weekend by besting Princeton, 61-53, and Connecticut, 77-65. The Terps have won a record four straight BB&T games in the annual tournament which they co-host with George Washington. UConn was this year's runner-up. GW downed Princeton for third place.
* In beating Princeton last Sunday, Maryland registered its greatest comeback in the past five seasons, overcoming its largest deficit since No. 17 Maryland upset No. 12 North Carolina, in Chapel Hill, on Jan. 8, 1997. In that game, Maryland overcame a 12-point halftime deficit and a 22-point Tar Heel lead with 14:24 to play, before winning 85-75.
* The Terps raced to a 21-7 lead in the championship win over the Huskies, and got 24 points and 10 rebounds from tournament MVP Lonny Baxter. Baxter scored Maryland's first seven points in an 11-0 run to start the game. He was joined in the scoring column by senior guard Juan Dixon who scored 16 while setting the tournament records for steals (six in each game and 12, total). Tahj Holden added a season-high 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting - he was 5-for-5 in the second half.
TERP STREAKS
* Maryland has won six straight games overall, the ninth time that Gary Williams and the Terps have posted a streak of six or better since he took over the program in 1989-90. A win vs. Detroit would push the streak to seven, which Williams & Co. have accomplished just five times before.
* The Terps own a six-game home win streak dating to last season.
* 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 16 of its last 19 games. Its only losses have come to Duke and Arizona.
* Maryland owns the nation's longest non-conference homecourt win streak which spans 80 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 119 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.
RECORDS AND RANKINGS
* Maryland is 6-1 after an ACC/Big Ten Challenge victory over Illinois and last weekend's BB&T victories over Princeton and Connecticut. The Terrapins finished their 2001 season with a 25-11 record and their first trip to the Final Four.
* Detroit is 4-2 following a 93-67 loss at Oakland (Mich.) last Wednesday. The Titans advanced to the semifinals of last season's NIT at Madison Square Garden and finished with a 25-12 record. Detroit has earned a berth in the NCAA or NIT tournaments in three of the past four years.
* Maryland is No. 3 by the Associated Press (Nov. 26) and No. 2 in the USA Today/ESPN coaches poll. Detroit is unranked. Other Maryland opponents in this week's rankings (AP, USA Today/ESPN): Duke (1,1), Illinois (5, 6), Arizona (7, 8), Virginia (8, 7), Wake Forest (23, 22). Connecticut and Oklahoma each are receiving votes in both polls.
ON DECK
* Maryland hosts Monmouth on Tuesday, Dec. 11 in their final home game before the holiday break. The Terps are at Oklahoma on Dec. 21, before hosting William & Mary on Dec. 27 and opening ACC play at NC State on Dec. 30. The game at NC State is the Terps' second of six Sunday night games on FOX Sports Net.
CONSISTENCY & EXCELLENCE
* Maryland is the only school in the nation that has achieved each of the following:
- Appeared in each of the last eight NCAA Tournaments (Arizona, Cincinnati, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Temple and UCLA).
- Advanced to the Sweet Sixteen at least five times during that eight-year span since 1994 (Arizona, Connecticut, Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland).
- Won at least 25 games over each of the past three seasons (Duke, Maryland, Michigan State, Stanford, Cincinnati, Gonzaga).
TERPS' BEST ERA
* Gary Williams and the 2001 Terrapins established the current era as the best in Maryland history.
- The Terps' 78 wins since the 1999 campaign (28-6, 25-10, 25-10) is the best three-year stretch in history.
- Maryland won 99 games from 1998 to 2001 (21-11, 28-6, 25-10, 25-10) to establish the best four-year stretch in history.
- With the West Region championship win over Stanford, the Terps established the best five-year stretch in Maryland history, winning 120 games since 1997 (21-11, 21-11, 28-6, 25-10, 25-10).
