Maryland Defeats Virginia Tech 86-71
2/8/2005 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 8, 2005
By DAVID GINSBURG
AP Sports Writer
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - John Gilchrist had 19 points and 10 assists, and Nik Caner-Medley scored 21 to lead Maryland past Virginia Tech 86-71 Tuesday night.
Chris McCray scored 16 and Mike Jones added 13 on 6-for-6 shooting to help the Terrapins snap a two-game skid that dropped them out of the Top 25. Maryland (14-7, 5-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) improved to 11-1 at home, including 4-1 in the ACC.
Playing against conference newcomer Virginia Tech for the first time since 1991, Maryland won its seventh straight against the Hokies and improved to 24-4 in the series that began in 1926.
The Terrapins were without starting forward Ekene Ibekwe, who missed a second consecutive game with a cracked rib. Freshman James Gist received his first start and scored eight points.
Carlos Dixon had 22 points and nine rebounds, and Zabian Dowdell scored 17 for the Hokies (12-9, 5-5), who have lost three of four after a five-game winning streak.
Down 42-30 at halftime, Virginia Tech opened the second half with an 8-0 run that included a pair of dunks by Deron Washington.
After a Maryland timeout, Gilchrist and McCray hit successive 3-pointers to make it 48-38. The Hokies then got within seven points before Gist scored on a drive and Gilchrist added a three-point play to make it 57-45 with 14:11 remaining.
Virginia Tech cut the gap to seven points, but Caner-Medley and Jones each scored four points in an 11-4 spree that put the Terrapins up 72-58 with 7:05 left.
At that point, Maryland could begin looking ahead toward Saturday night's rematch against No. 7 Duke, a team the Terrapins upset on the road last month.
Maryland shot a season-best 57 percent (16-for-28) in the first half to take control.
After a four-point play by Dowdell gave the Hokies an early 9-3 lead, McCray scored 11 points in a 17-5 run that put the Terps up by six.
Virginia Tech closed to 22-21 before Maryland's Will Bowers made a hook shot and Caner-Medley hit a 3-pointer to spark an 11-0 run that featured two dunks by Gist and another by McCray.
Only four Hokies scored in the first half.
