Feb 17, 2003
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By DAVID GINSBURG
AP Sports Writer
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - A strange afternoon worked out perfectly for No. 13 Maryland, which stormed past 10th-ranked Wake Forest to take over first place in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Steve Blake had 21 points and nine assists, and Drew Nicholas scored 19 as the Terrapins handed the Demon Deacons their most lopsided loss of the season, 90-67, Monday in a game delayed by a day because of a blizzard.
Fearing that most fans would be unable to attend the game because of a storm that dumped more than two feet of snow in the area, Maryland athletic director Debbie Yow spent much of the morning trying to push the game back to next month.
But the Terrapins were eager to get on the court and avenge an 81-72 loss at Wake Forest last month.
"I woke up this morning and I wanted to play," said Maryland guard Calvin McCall, who contributed nine points and three steals. "When Coach called and said the game was on, I was excited."
Ryan Randle had 13 points and 13 rebounds for Maryland (16-6, 8-3), which wrestled away the top spot in the ACC from Wake Forest (17-4, 7-3) in convincing fashion.
"They played hard," said Josh Howard, who led the Demon Deacons with 20 points. "They got the loose balls, the rebounds and finished on their baskets."
Wake Forest, which led the nation in rebounding differential (plus 12.5), was outrebounded for the first time this season, 44-24.
"I'm really proud of the team, the way the players prepared," Maryland coach Gary Williams said. "There was a lot of back-and-forth as to whether this game was going to be played or not. I thought we kept our focus and carried out the game plan, especially in the rebounding department. We held our own on the boards."
The defending NCAA champions have won seven of eight overall against the Demon Deacons and five straight at home.
"I give all the credit to Maryland. They beat us every which way possible," Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser said.
The Demon Deacons were hoping to build on Thursday's double-overtime victory over Duke. But after cutting a 17-point deficit to six in the second half, Wake Forest made only one basket in the final 10 minutes.
"The shots just weren't falling," said Howard, who went 6-for-16.
The Comcast Center - which seats 17,950 - was nearly filled, even though the game was hastily rescheduled from Sunday night. The starting time of 5 p.m. was not announced until well after noon on Monday.
Yow preferred a later makeup date, but conference policy dictates that a game must be played if both teams and the game officials can make it to the arena.
"The bottom line is that we are following the ACC policy set down in 1996. We have two teams. We have enough officials. There is no reason not to play the game," ACC associate commissioner Fred Barakat said.
"I was told that poor attendance was not a reason to set the policy aside," Yow said. "Certainly, that was a concern for us. That said, I am amazed by the number of people who are at this game. I am grateful so many fans made the effort to get here on such short notice."
It turned out to be a lost three-day weekend for the Demon Deacons, who beat the snow but were stuck in their College Park hotel waiting to learn if the first-place showdown would take place.
"That's no excuse," Howard said. "We should be ready. It was just like any other game."
Up by 10 at halftime, Maryland used a 3-pointer by Tahj Holden and baskets by Randle and McCall at the outset of the second half to make it 48-31.
Wake Forest closed to 50-43, but Blake made two free throws and Nicholas added a 3-pointer to build the lead up to 12 points. But Wake battled back again, closing to 65-59 on two free throws by Trent Strickland.
Blake then hit a 3-pointer to spark a 13-2 run that enabled Maryland to pull away for good. Until Strickland made a 3-pointer with 51 seconds left, the Demon Deacons' last field goal was Howard's three-point play with 10:08 to go.
Wake Forest took an early 12-6 lead, but Nicholas scored six points in 16-4 run that put the Terrapins ahead to stay. It was 25-19 before McCall made a follow shot and a 3-pointer to increase the margin to 11.
Wake Forest went 9-for-24 from the field in the first half, going without a basket for the final four minutes. Maryland made 16 of its 28 first-half shots and outrebounded the Demon Deacons 18-11.
Maryland finished 27-for-30 at the line, including a 12-for-13 performance by Blake.
