Jan. 24, 2003

Maryland vs. Clemson Game Notes in PDF Format
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COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- The Terrapin basketball team (No. 12 AP, No. 11USA Today/ESPN) takes its ACC momentum into a Saturday afternoon battle at Clemson. The defending national champions play the second of two road games this week on Saturday, Jan. 25 at 4 p.m. in a live regional telecast on the Raycom/Jefferson-Pilot Sports Network.

* The Terrapins (11-4, 4-1 ACC) hope to win their second ACC road contest of the year and third straight game overall, after recent victories over then-top-ranked Duke and a road win at North Carolina last Wednesday. Senior center Ryan Randle completed his fifth double-double of the season - and the second in two games - with 16 points and 10 rebounds at UNC. Now third in the ACC in rebounds, Randle was joined in double figures by Terps' scoring leader Drew Nicholas (20), Steve Blake (17) and Tahj Holden (11). Maryland's all-senior lineup also got seven points and six rebounds from Calvin McCall as the Terrapins enjoyed a 45-35 rebounding edge and limited the Tar Heels to 34.8 percent shooting - the eighth time this season that an opponent has shot less than 35 percent. It was the Terrapins' third straight win over the Tar Heels, the first time that Maryland has run a streak that long over UNC since 1965.

* Led by 17.2-point scorer Ed Scott (sixth in the ACC), Clemson (11-3, 1-3 ACC) has split its last four games while winning both home games during that stretch. The Tigers fell 60-59 in the final seconds at Florida State last Tuesday, and their last three games have been decided by a total of four points. Scott is also fourth in the ACC with 6.50 assists per game.

* In what is the 123rd meeting between Maryland and Clemson, the Terps lead the series 80-42 while winning the last nine games. Seeking a 10th straight win over the Tigers overall, Maryland also has won the last four meetings at Littlejohn Coliseum. Clemson's last win was a 78-65 overtime victory at Littlejohn on Dec. 4, 1997.

Terp Streaks & Storylines
* Maryland head coach Gary Williams owns 492 career victories, and is now just eight wins from 500. He is the 20th-leading active coach in America in terms of victories. Williams is sixth in conference history with 118 ACC wins, closing fast on former Maryland coach Lefty Driesell's mark of 122.

* Maryland has won 23 of its last 25 ACC league games, including a school-record 14-game streak which was ended at Wake Forest on Jan. 15.

* Senior point guard Steve Blake enters Saturday's game with 856 career assists, placing him 17th on the NCAA all-time career assist chart. He needs two to supplant Clemson's Grayson Marshall in 16th.

* Blake is 144 assists away from becoming the fourth Division I player in history to reach 1,000 assists. The only others are all former ACC players - Bobby Hurley (1,076), Chris Corchiani (1,038) and Ed Cota (1,030). Blake is the nation's active leader in career assists with 856, and averages 7.03 per game for his career.

* Blake is 47 points shy of becoming Maryland's 40th 1,000-point career scorer. He would be Maryland's only 1,000 point/1,000 assist man in history should he reach both marks. His backcourt partner, Drew Nicholas, needs only 55 points for a career total of 1,000. He paces the Terps and is third in the ACC with a 18.4 scoring average, and averages 21.0 ppg in league games.

* Blake led the ACC in assists as a sophomore (6.9) and junior (7.9), and ranked second in the country last season while keying Maryland to the NCAA title. His 7.00 assist per game average this season is currently second in the conference.

* After last Saturday's win over then top-rated Duke, Maryland has beaten eight top-ranked teams all-time, including its 14-point win over then-No. 1 Duke on Feb. 17 of 2002. Seven of those victories have come in College Park (six at Cole Field House, one at Comcast Center). Maryland's only road win over No. 1 came against North Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C. on Feb. 20, 1986 (77-72 OT).

* The Terrapins are currently riding a 13-game ACC regular season win streak at home. Maryland has not fallen to an ACC team in College Park since Feb. 14, 2001, when it fell to Florida State, 74-71. The Terps rebounded to win 10 of their next 11 games and reach the first Final Four in school history to finish that season.

* The Terrapins have outshot 13 of their first 15 opponents from the field, and have held six opponents to less than 33 percent shooting - eight under 35 percent. As a team, Maryland is first in the Atlantic Coast Conference in field goal percentage defense and ranks first nationally at .359 according to most recent NCAA rankings.

* As a team, the Terps also lead the ACC in scoring margin (17.9), assists (18.87 per game), blocked shots (7.73 per game), steals (11.07 per game), assist/turnover ratio (1.31), 3-point percentage (.397), 3-point percentage defense (.280) and defensive rebounds (29.20 per game).

* Maryland is ranked No. 12 in the AP Poll and No. 11 in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll, released Jan. 20. The Terrapins were No. 17/15 in the previous polls from Jan. 13. The Terps have been ranked in the AP top 25 for 65 consecutive weeks, and the USA Today/ESPN top 25 for 58 straight votes.

On Deck
* The Terrapins return to Comcast Center for a Jan. 30 meeting with the NC State Wolfpack. The Thursday night game is scheduled for 9 p.m. and will be televised on the Raycom/Jefferson Pilot network.

* The NC State game is the first of three straight home games, followed by a Feb. 2 non-league matchup with Loyola (Md.) and a Feb. 6 return to the ACC against Virginia.

* Maryland's next road game is at Georgia Tech on Sunday, Feb. 9 (1:00) in a nationally-televised bout on CBS-TV. It also is the day of the NBA All-Star game in Atlanta.

Consistency & Excellence
* Maryland made a repeat appearance at the NCAA Final Four last season and is the ONLY school in the nation that has advanced to the Elite Eight in each of the past two seasons.

* The Terps also are the ONLY school to have achieved ALL of the following: - Appeared in each of the last nine NCAA Tournaments from 1994 to 2002 (Arizona, Cincinnati, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland and UCLA).
- Advanced to the Sweet Sixteen at least six times since 1994 (Arizona, Connecticut, Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland).
- Won at least 25 games over each of the past four seasons from 1999 to 2002 (Duke, Maryland, Cincinnati, Gonzaga).