Nov. 12, 2003

Box Score| Quotes| Notes

By DAVID GINSBURG
AP Sports Writer

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) - It was only an exhibition game, not to be confused with a matchup against Duke or North Carolina.

Yet the Maryland basketball team was still feeling jittery before its preseason opener against EA Sports on Wednesday night.

"We were nervous. That's really a good sign, because when you want to play, you get nervous," coach Gary Williams said.

It all turned out well for the Terrapins, who got 20 points from Nik Caner-Medley in an 84-70 victory.

The game marked the unofficial debut of five talented Maryland freshmen, but a couple of sophomores stole the show. Caner-Medley missed only one of his nine field goal attempts, and John Gilchrist had 16 points (on 7-for-8 shooting), seven rebounds and a team-high eight assists.

"We were nervous before the game because we had something to prove," Gilchrist said. "We wanted to show we have a good team this year, that we can play against top competition."

Maryland led by 16 in the first half, then let EA Sports close to 66-62 before using an 8-1 run to go up by 11 with four minutes left.

Tezale Archie scored 17 and Josh Murray had 16 for EA Sports (2-6), a collection of former college stars that fell to 0-4 against Atlantic Coast Conference teams. Playing its third game in four days, EA Sports had difficulty keeping up with quicker, more athletic Terrapins.

Maryland trailed 10-9 before taking the lead for good with a 15-4 run fueled by a pressing defense and an opportunistic fast break. Caner-Medley started the surge with a layup and a 3-pointer, and Gilchrist added three baskets.

It was 30-21 before Caner-Medley made a pair of baskets in a 10-3 spree that made it 40-24. EA Sports then closed the half with a 15-2 spree to get within three points.

Maryland opened the second half with a 10-2 run, much to Williams' delight.

"When you play these games, you're trying to find out where your defense is, where your offense is, all that stuff," he said. "But you're also trying to find out about your heart. To get the momentum back at the start of the second half was really a good sign."

Notes: Maryland announced that 6-foot-8 James Gist of Good Counsel (Md.) High signed a letter of intent Wednesday. ... Former Terrapins star and Washington Wizards rookie Steve Blake was among those in attendance.