Dec. 23, 2004

Box Score |  Quotes |  Notes

By DAVID GINSBURG
AP Sports Writer

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - John Gilchrist scored 20 points and fueled a second-half run that carried No. 24 Maryland past American University 82-61 on Thursday night.

Nik Caner-Medley had 16 points and Travis Garrison added 14 for the Terrapins, who led by only two points before Gilchrist tossed an alley-oop pass to freshman James Gist, starting a 16-0 run that made it 66-48 with 6:19 left.

Gilchrist and Ekene Ibekwe each scored four points during the spree, which propelled Maryland (7-2) to its third straight victory. It was the fourth straight game that Gilchrist scored at least 20 points.

The Terrapins have won 12 in a row over American since 1926, when the Eagles won the first game of the series. Maryland coach Gary Williams, who began his college coaching career at American in 1978, improved to 9-0 against his former school.

Jason Thomas scored 14 points for the Eagles (5-3), whose five-game winning streak ended. American was seeking to go 6-2 for the first time since 1982-83 - one year after Williams left.

After Gist's dunk made it 52-48, Caner-Medley sank a free throw and Gilchrist made a layup. Ibekwe followed with a tip-in, D.J. Strawberry added a 3-pointer and Gilchrist scored on a drive to put the Terps up by 14.

Ibekwe then hit a layup and Garrison made two free throws before Raimondas Petrauskas ended American's 5-minute scoreless drought with a jumper in the lane.

For 30 minutes, however, AU gave the Terrapins all they could handle.

Thomas hit three 3-pointers in the opening 6 minutes, and the Eagles went 7-for-9 from the field in going up 18-13. But American missed its next four shots, and the Terrapins got points from four players in a 9-0 run that gave them their first lead.

American answered with 10 straight points, half by Andre Ingram, before Maryland used a 9-2 surge to take a 36-34 halftime lead.