Post Game Notes - University of Maryland Athletics

Feb. 17, 2002

The 87-73 victory extends the Terrapins' (No. 3 USA Today/ESPN/No. 3 AP) best conference start in the history of the program to 11-1, putting Maryland in position to capture its first outright ACC regular season championship since 1980.

The win also could result in Maryland's first No. 1 ranking in school history. The Terps downed the No. 1 team in the country for the seventh time ever, the fifth-most in NCAA history. Maryland's last slaying of No. 1 came on Jan. 14, 1998 when the Terrapins downed No. 1 North Carolina, 89-83 in overtime. It marks the first time Maryland has defeated Duke when the Devils were No. 1.

Sunday's contest marks the seventh time the No. 1 team in the nation has been defeated in Cole Field House, as the arena moves ahead of Notre Dame's Joyce Athletic Center as the site which has seen the most upsets of top-ranked teams in NCAA history. Six of those wins have come by Maryland with the other coming in the 1966 NCAA championship game when No. 3 Texas Western topped No. 1 Kentucky (according to research by Basketball Times).

Maryland's 14-point win marked the largest margin of victory that the Terps have enjoyed over the No. 1/1 Blue Devils since Feb. 6, 1982, a 17-point (77-60) Terp win at Cole Field House. It was Duke's largest defeat overall since losing to North Carolina, 83-68 (15 points) on March 8, 1998. Duke's last three double-digit losses have come at the hands of the Terrapins (87-73 on 2-17-02, 91-80 on 2-27-01, 98-87 on 2-9-00).

Maryland's 21-3 record matches the best mark in school history to open a season. The 1975 Terrapins began the year 22-3 en route to a 24-5 overall record and a trip to the NCAA Elite Eight.

The victory puts Maryland on an eight-game win streak and extends the Terrapins' 2001-02 Cole Field House win streak to 13 (16 in all dating to last season), marking the longest season-opening home court victory stretch since the 1994-95 Terps went a perfect 16-0 at home.

As a team, the Blue Devils shot 36 percent (27-of-75) from the floor and 21.2 percent (7-of-33) from beyond the 3-point arc. The Blue Devils shot 51.4 percent in the first Maryland-Duke match-up this season (1-17-02) and over 42.0 percent in two of their three wins over the Terps last season. Duke went from shooting 62.7 percent vs. NC State (2-14-02) in its last game to its low percentage on Sunday. As a whole, Terp opponents are averaging only 39.4 percent field goal shooting for the 2001-02 season.

Maryland never trailed for the entire contest on Sunday, which breaks the recent series phenomenon that the halftime leader goes on to lose.

Duke committed 18 turnovers on Sunday after making only nine in the Duke-Maryland match-up earlier this season in Cameron Indoor Stadium. Duke's 50 percent free throw shooting was the third-lowest of the season.

Besides the steal and the lay-up at the end of the first half, junior point guard Steve Blake finished the game with eight points and 13 assists. Blake has tallied nine or more assists 10 times this season and now needs only one assist to become Maryland's all-time leader. He currently is tied with record-holder Keith Gatlin, who handed out 649 helpers from 1984-86/88.

With a career-high 23 points and 11 rebounds, athletic sophomore Chris Wilcox led the Terps in scoring for the second time of his career. His effort against Duke was his sixth double-double of the season (and of his career). The only other time Wilcox paced the Terps was on Dec. 21, 2001 when the Maryland fell at Oklahoma.

With the Terps' victory, senior Naismith and Wooden awards finalist Juan Dixon tied former teammate Mike Mardesich as the winningest player in Maryland basketball history with 99. Thirteen of Dixon's 17 points came in the second half to extend his streak of double-figure scoring games to 42.

One of the most complete players in the nation, Juan Dixon needs only eight points to become the first player in NCAA history with 2,000 points, 300 steals and 200 made 3-pointers. He currently totals 1,992 points, 315 steals and 205 3-pointers as a testament to his abilities on both ends of the floor.

The ACC's leading shot-blocker and senior Naismith and Wooden awards finalist Lonny Baxter chipped in with 11 points, 10 rebounds and four key blocks. The senior center marked his third-straight double-double, eighth of the season and 31st of his career.

Senior swingman Byron Mouton netted eight of his 15 total points in the first half, marking his sixth straight game of double-figure scoring. He also pulled down nine rebounds and averages 16.2 points and 6.7 rebounds over the last six games, all in the conference.

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