Jan. 5, 2004
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
The Maryland basketball team (8-3, 0-1 ACC) faces Maryland-Eastern Shore (0-6, 0-1 MEAC) in one final non-conference tune-up before the bulk of the Terrapins' ACC season begins. The Terps take on the Fighting Hawks, one of the 11 members of the state of Maryland's University System, on Tuesday, Jan. 6, at 8 p.m. at Comcast Center. For the second-straight season, each of the Terps' 27 regular-season games are scheduled to be televised live - Maryland meets UMES in a regionally-televised contest on the Raycom/Jefferson Pilot network; UPN-20 (WDCA) in Washington, D.C., and WB-54 (WNUV) in the Baltimore area.
After Saturday's victory over in-state squad Mount St. Mary's, the Terrapins now own a 98-1 record against non-conference opponents in College Park since Dec. 30, 1989. Maryland head coach Gary Williams has posted a 101-2 home record against non-conference opponents in his 15 seasons as the Terrapins' head coach. Dating to last season, the Terps have now won 11-consecutive non-conference home games.
The Terps, who are receiving votes in both the AP and USA Today/ESPN polls, got back to their winning ways on Saturday, downing the Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers, 89-56 in College Park. Led by sophomore point guard John Gilchrist, who netted a game-high 16 points (3-of-3 3FGs) with six assists and six rebounds, four Maryland players notched double-figure scoring games and the Terps as a team shot 50 percent from the floor and 54 percent from beyond the arc. The ACC's top rebounding squad, the Terps dominated the boards 55-34 thanks in part to Jamar Smith's career-high 14 caroms. The Terps' lone senior also scored 14 to post his eighth double-double of the season, while sophomore guard Chris McCray totaled 15 points on a 6-of-11 shooting performance that included a pair of 3-pointers. Sophomore Nik Caner-Medley posted his fifth-straight double-figure scoring game with 14 points, while rookie forward Ekene Ibekwe scored nine points, grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds, and blocked a career-high four shots.
The Fighting Hawks are 0-6 headed into a home matchup with Howard on Monday evening, before making the Tuesday trip to College Park. UMES fell in its first MEAC conference game of the season on Saturday, dropping a 60-55 matchup against Delaware State. Junior guard Antoine Joiner led UMES with 13 points in his third start of the season, while senior Tee Trotter, who paces the Hawks in scoring at 14.3 points per game, netted 12. The Hawks' leading rebounder, 6-7 senior forward Javes Wiggins, scored eight points and grabbed eight boards as UMES outrebounded the Hornets 36-33. Head coach Thomas Trotter, now in his fourth season at UMES, owns a career record of 28-63.
The Terrapins own a 14-0 all-time record against UMES in a series that was played in 10 straight seasons from 1979-80 to 1988-89. The Terps' last meeting with the Hawks was a 105-53 Maryland victory at Cole Field House on Dec. 30, 2000. The Terps have averaged 104.5 points per game vs. UMES in four meetings since 1991.
Terp Streaks & Storylines
Maryland has won its last 11 non-conference home games in a row dating back to Dec. 14, 2002. The Terps are 98-1 vs. non-ACC teams in College Park since 1989 and are 101-2 at home against non-conference foes under Gary Williams.
The Terrapins bring a new-look squad to the floor for 2003-04, as Maryland's roster features a combined nine freshmen and sophomores, two juniors and lone senior Jamar Smith. Williams, now in his 15th season at Maryland and his 26th season overall, returned to his alma mater in 1989 and has since guided the Terrapins to 10 straight NCAA Tournament berths - a run that includes seven Sweet Sixteen appearances, Final Four showings in 2001 and 2002, and the 2002 NCAA Championship.
The 2003-04 Maryland squad appears to be the youngest Williams has coached since the 1993-94 season. That year, with a five-man freshman class that included Keith Booth, Joe Smith and current Terp assistant coach Matt Kovarik, the Terps posted an 18-12 record en route to the Terps' first Sweet Sixteen appearance of the Williams era. The 1994 NCAA Tournament appearance was the first of Maryland's current streak of 10 straight. The 1993-94 Terps' posted an 8-8 ACC record.
Williams reached his 500th career victory at NC State on March 2, 2003. His record stands at 510-284, which makes him the 16th-leading active coach in America in terms of victories. Williams totals 25 NCAA Tournament victories - ranking ninth among active coaches - and is 21-9 at Maryland for a .700 winning percentage after once again leading the Terps to the Sweet Sixteen last season.
Williams captured his 300th victory as the head coach of the Terrapins on Dec. 10 at Florida. Williams' record at Maryland currently stands at 303-156. Only six coaches in college basketball history have captured as many victories as the leader of a program in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
With the victory over No. 1 Florida on Dec. 10, Williams became the winningest active coach in college basketball in terms of victories over top-ranked opponents. The Terps have posted wins over five No. 1-ranked foes with Williams as their head coach, and his Ohio State team captured a win over top-ranked Iowa in 1987, giving Williams a grand total of six. The win over the Gators marked the third-straight season in which Maryland has beaten a No. 1 squad.
ESPN's Dick Vitale named Williams the nation's "Coach of the Week" the week after the Terps' victory over then-No. 1 Florida. Earlier this season, CBS Sportsline's Gregg Doyel named Williams college basketball's No. 3 active coach in the country.
The 2003-04 Terrapins look to continue a school record this season by earning a berth in the 2004 NCAA Tournament. Maryland is currently one of only six schools in the nation riding a streak of 10-straight NCAA Tournament appearances.
For the second consecutive season and the second time in school history, all of Maryland's 29 preseason and regular-season games are scheduled to be aired on live television. The Terps' 2003-04 broadcast slate includes 14 games that will be broadcast nationally, on ESPN, ESPN2, Fox Sports Net, ABC or CBS. With the exception of the snow-delayed victory over Wake Forest last February 17, every preseason and regular season game of the Terps' 2002-03 season was aired live, and the Terps' Feb. 19 tilt at Duke ranked as ESPN's top-rated college basketball telecast of all of last year.
Maryland is receiving votes in both the AP and USA Today/ESPN coaches polls. Including finishing the 2002-03 season ranked No. 17, the Terrapins had been ranked in 77 straight AP Polls. Maryland has been "receiving votes" in both polls all season long, and the young squad's has been ranked as high as No. 24.
On Deck
The Terps will have eight days to prepare for No. 9 North Carolina as Maryland's ACC schedule comes into full swing. Maryland faces the ninth-ranked Tar Heels on Jan. 14 at Comcast Center at 9 p.m. The contest will be televised nationally on ESPN.
The Terps then travel to No. 3 Georgia Tech on Jan. 17 for an 8 p.m. tilt on the Raycom/Jefferson Pilot Network. Maryland plays host to No. 2 Duke on Jan. 21 at 9 p.m. on ESPN.
