Dec. 5, 2004
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WASHINGTON -
The Maryland basketball team (No. 12 AP, No. 12 USA Today/ESPN) takes on local rival George Washington on Sunday, Dec. 5, at 3 p.m. in the championship game of the 10th Annual BB&T Classic at Washington, D.C.'s MCI Center. The Terps have their sights set on a fifth BB&T title since the event's inception in 1995, and face the Colonials for the fifth time in the championship game, with each splitting the previous four. The tournament's games will be televised live regionally on the Raycom/Jefferson Pilot Network and will air locally on UPN-20 (WDCA) in Washington, D.C., and WB-54 (WNUV) in the Baltimore area. Steve Buckhantz and Glenn Consor call the action while Smokin' Al Koken reports from the sidelines.
Maryland owns an all-time best 13-6 record in the BB&T Classic and a record four championships. The Terps look for their fifth BB&T title this weekend after winning the championship in 1996 and 1998 and earning back-to-back crowns in 2000 and 2001. The annual event at MCI Center benefits the Washington, D.C., Children's Charities Foundation.
The Terps own a 35-27 series advantage over the Colonials in a series that dates to 1914. The last six meetings between the two schools have occurred in the BB&T Classic, with four prior matchups in the championship game. The Terps downed GW in 1996 (74-68) and in 2000 (71-63) to win the BB&T title those years. GW got the better of the Terps for the BB&T championship in 1997 (70-66) and 1999 (74-69).
The Terrapins posted a 78-54 victory over the George Mason Colonials in the 2004 BB&T Classic's opening game. Junior forward Nik Caner-Medley bounced back from an off-night in Wisconsin on Saturday, scoring a team high- tying 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting and a 4-of-4 performance from the line. He also added five rebounds and three assists. Classmate Chris McCray also tallied 20 points, to go along with four steals, three helpers and three boards to key the Terps to victory. The ACC's free throw leader also continued his proficiency from the charity stripe, nailing a perfect 6-of-6 free throws.
Junior point guard John Gilchrist, an All-America candidate that has been named to the Naismith, Wooden and Rupp
Preseason Player of the Year watch lists, contributed nine points to the Terps' cause and also chipped in with a career-high tying nine assists.
Maryland set a fast pace from the opening tip, and its defense held George Mason to an all-time BB&T Classic low in terms of field goal percentage at .246.
The George Washington Colonials head into the championship game with a 4-1 record after shocking No. 11/9 Michigan State, 96-83, in the opening round. Junior big man Pops Mensah-Bonsu led five double-figure Colonials with 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting. Senior guard T.J. Thompson scored 18, and sophomore Carl Elliott netted 17 with six assists.
Maryland continued a current school record with a berth in last season's NCAA Tournament. Head coach Gary Williams returned to his alma mater in 1989 and has guided the Terrapins to 11 straight NCAA Tournaments since 1994, making the Terrapins one of only five teams in the nation riding a streak as long.
Terps In The BB&T Classic
The Terrapins own a 13-6 all-time record in the BB&T Classic, with four championships (1996, 1998, 2000 and 2001). Maryland is the only team ever to have won back-to-back BB&T titles, in 2000 and 2001.
Maryland won five of six BB&T matchups from 2000 to 2002, before dropping both BB&T games last season. The Terps were victorious in four straight BB&T contests during the 2000 and 2001 events, which stands as a tournament record. The Terps fell to No. 17/24 Gonzaga, 82-68 in 2003, before falling to West Virginia, 78-77, in overtime.
Maryland missed out on facing its fifth ranked opponent in the history of the BB&T Classic with George Washington's upset of No. 11/9 Michigan State on Saturday. The Terps are 3-1 against ranked opponents in the tournament, including wins over No. 2 Kansas in 1997, No. 5 Stanford in 1998 and No. 16 Illinois in 1999. (Notre Dame was unranked at the time of the Terps' meeting in 2003, but went on to be ranked as high as fifth in the nation.)
All-Tournament Terps
With 14 all-tournament members all-time in the BB&T Classic, the Terps boast the most selections since the event began in 1995.
Then-senior point guard Steve Blake was selected to the all-tournament team in the 2002 event.
Three Terrapins have claimed BB&T MVP honors, including Lonny Baxter in 2001, Steve Francis in 1998 and current Terp assistant coach Keith Booth in 1996.
Juan Dixon was named to the BB&T all-tournament team in 1999, 2000 and 2001. His three appearances are a tournament record.
BB&T Records
As a team the Terrapins own eight BB&T records. The Terps set marks for: free throws made (33 vs. George Washington, 1996), free throws attempted (47 vs. George Washington, 1996), assists (24 vs. George Washington, 2002), steals (15 vs. Kansas, 1997), 3-point field goal percentage (.706 vs. George Washington, 2002), attendance (20,544 vs. Stanford, 1998), consecutive wins (4, 2000-01) and consecutive titles (2000-01).
Maryland players hold five individual BB&T single-game records: Juan Dixon (six steals vs. Princeton in 2001, six steals vs. Connecticut in 2001; 1.000 free throw percentage vs. Princeton in 2001), Laron Profit (six steals vs. Kansas in 1997), Keith Booth (15 free throws vs. George Washington in 1996; 24 free throws attempted vs. George Washington in 1996).
On Deck
One week from Sunday the Terps return home for the first time since Nov. 23 when they take on UNC Asheville on Sunday, Dec. 12, at 1 p.m. The game will be televised regionally on the Raycom/Jefferson Pilot Network, airing locally on UPN-20 (WDCA) in Washington, D.C., and WB-54 (WNUV) in Baltimore area.
