Nov. 29, 2003
Recap|
Box Score|
Quotes
* The Maryland basketball team (No. 24 USA Today/ESPN, receiving votes AP) overcame a tenacious Hofstra squad on Saturday night, shaking off an early 11-2 deficit and eventually cruising to a 87-72 victory.
* Maryland remains perfect in the series vs. Hofstra, extending their series lead to 4-0 all-time.
* The Terrapins, now 3-0 to start the season for only the fifth time in the Gary Williams Era, trailed until the 12:16 mark in the first half when a pair of Jamar Smith free throws capped a 15-5 Maryland run. The Terps took a 17-16 advantage and did not relinquish the lead for the remainder of the contest.
* Including 2003-04, the Terrapins have now won their first three home games of the season for 16 straight years. Maryland achieved victory in its first three games at Cole Field House from 1987-88 to 2001-02, won three in a row at Comcast Center last year, and won the first three home contests this year.
* The Terps have now been victorious in six straight games at Comcast Center, including wins over Clemson, North Carolina and Wake Forest last year.
* The Terrapins, who shot a combined 11-for-20 (.550) as a team in their first two games of the season, took advantage of 20 Hofstra fouls to shoot 21-of-32 (.656) in the first half alone. The Terps finished the game 31-55 (.564) from the line in their finest foul shooting performance of the young season.
* The 55 free throw attempts marks the third most in a game in Maryland history. The record at Maryland 67 vs. Morgan State (12/23/94) and second place took place vs. North Carolina (1/3/53), when they took 57 free throws.
* Maryland's trademark aggressive defense was at it again on Saturday, as the Terps posted a 14-4 turnover margin and converted 18 points off turnovers in the first half alone. For the game, the Terrapins totaled 29 points off turnovers to go along with 14 steals and 10 blocked shots.
* Maryland had three players post career highs in the win: John Gilchrist (18), Travis Garrison (12) and Chris McCray (12).
* Smith's 11-point, 10-rebound performance marked his third straight double-double of the season (in three games) and the third double-double of his Terrapin career. Smith already notched a 14-point, 12-rebound effort vs. American (Nov. 22) and a 19-point, 13 rebound performance against George Mason (Nov. 25). The last time a Terrapin posted three double-doubles in three-straight games was during Maryland's 2002 national championship season, when then-senior Lonny Baxter posted four in a row, vs. North Carolina (16 pts, 10 rebs on Feb. 10), Georgia Tech (22 pts, 10 rebs on Feb. 13), Duke (11 pts, 10 rebs on Feb. 17) and Clemson (10 pts, 12 rebs on Feb. 20).
* Smith has led the Terps in rebounding in all three contests of the 2003-04 season.
* Sophomore Nik Caner-Medley continues to produce on both ends of the floor for the Terps, following up a career-high 23-point effort vs. George Mason by shooting 7-of-13, including 2-of-3 from long range, for team-high 19 points points.
* Big man Travis Garrison put forth a gritty effort inside on Saturday, which resulted in 12 trips to the free throw line for the sophomore. Garrison converted 8-of-12 from the charity stripe and finished the game with a career-high 12 points.
* Point guard John Gilchrist contributed another solid effort for the Terrapins with a career-high 12 points on 6-of-11 shooting and a career-high six assists.
* Chris McCray was another Terrapin to eclipse a career-high in scoring, totaling 12 points that included a 3-of-7 performance from the field and a 5-of-7 effort from the free throw line.
* The Terrapins received balanced contributions from throughout its lineup as 10 Terps got into the scoring column, which included all starters in double-figures.
