Terrapins Host Fordham Wednesday Night
12/5/2006 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 5, 2006
Maryland faces Fordham Wednesday night (Dec. 6) at Comcast Center. Tip-off is set for 8:00 p.m. The game can be heard on the Terrapin Sports Radio Network.
• Wednesday's game marks the first meeting between the schools in over 30 years. The Terrapins and Rams last met on December 20, 1975, with Maryland capturing an 81-56 victory.
• Maryland leads the all-time series, 7-1. The Terrapins' only loss to Fordham came in the first meeting between the two schools, a 68-62 win for the Rams on December 6, 1956.
• The Terps carry a record of 8-1 into Wednesday's game. Maryland's 8-1 mark is its best start through nine games since the 2001-02 season when the Terps won the National Championship.
The Terrapins suffered their first defeat of the season against Notre Dame on Sunday, falling 81-74 as part of the 12th Annual BB&T Classic.
• Four Terps scored in double figures against Notre Dame. It was the fourth time this season the Terrapins have had four players score in double figures.
• D.J. Strawberry led the Terps with 17 points, including 15 in the second half. He has led the Terps in scoring in four of nine games this season. Ekene Ibekwe and Greivis Vasquez chipped in with 13 points each, while James Gist tallied 11 points for the Terrapins.
• Strawberry tied his career high with six steals against the Fighting Irish.
• Notre Dame's 81 points were the most allowed by the Terrapins this season.
Maryland has displayed a balanced offensive attack through nine games this season. The Terps are averaging 80.9 points per game this season and have four players averaging double figures.
• Senior D.J. Strawberry leads the team with 15.1 points per game. Forward Ekene Ibekwe has tallied 12.4 points per game, while guard Mike Jones is averaging 12.1 points per contest. Junior James Gist is averaging 11.2 points per game. Freshman Greivis Vasquez is averaging 9.9 points per game.
• Ibekwe, Jones and Strawberry have each been the team's leading scorer at least three times this season.
Maryland enters Wednesday's game ranked 22nd in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll and 23rd in the Associated Press Poll. The Terps made their season debut in both polls on November 20.
• Maryland has appeared in the AP Top 25 a total of 336 times. The Terrapins have placed in the AP Top 25 at least once in each of the last 14 seasons.
• The Terps have been ranked in the coaches poll 309 times. Maryland has placed in the coaches poll at least once in each of the last 14 seasons.
• The Terrapins are ranked 12th in the December 4 Sagarin Ratings.
• Maryland was ranked among the top 12 of ESPN's Power 16, released November 30.
• The Terps were named Team of the Week on November 20 by both Dick Vitale and Andy Katz.
The Terps have made a renewed committment to defense in 2006-07. Maryland has forced its opponents into an average of 19.4 turnovers per game through the first nine games of the season.
• The Terps are yielding just 27.0 points in the first half and limiting the opposition to 36 percent shooting from the field. Maryland's opponents are shooting just 26 percent (53-of-205) from three-point range.
• The Terps are averaging 8.4 steals per game and have recorded 62 blocked shots through nine games.
Four Terrapins are rapidly climbing the school's all-time record book. Seniors D.J. Strawberry, Ekene Ibekwe, and Mike Jones have all made their mark in the Terrapin annals, along with junior James Gist:
• Strawberry ranks 11th in school history with 159 career steals. He was named Honorable Mention All-ACC Defensive Team in 2005-06.
• Ibekwe sits in seventh place on the school's all-time blocked shots list. The Carson, Calif., native has 163 career rejections at Maryland and has averaged 1.7 blocked shots per game.
• With six rebounds against High Point, Ibekwe moved into 29th place on the school's all-time rebounding list. The senior forward has 581 career rebounds.
• Senior Mike Jones has distinguished himself as one of the best shooters in the ACC and has rapidly moved up the school's all-time three pointers list. Jones has totaled 139 three-point field goals and sits in sixth place on the school's all-time list. Jones has hoisted 359 shots from beyond the arc, which is the seventh highest total in school history.
• Gist has totaled 104 blocked shots during his three seasons in College Park. He is 11th on the school's all-time list and has averaged 1.4 blocks per game.
Eric Hayes has tallied 44 assists through nine games and is well on his way to recording one of the top assist totals among freshman point guards at Maryland. Hayes needs just 44 more helpers to pass Exree Hipp for eighth on the school's all-time assist totals among freshmen. Fellow freshman Greivis Vasquez has recorded 32 assists through the first nine games of the season.
• Steve Blake (2000-03) owns the school record with 217 assists as a freshman in 2000.
Maryland has been a dominant home team over the years.
• The Terps are 766-274 (.736) all-time at home dating back to 1923-24.
• Maryland went 14-3 (82.3%) at home last season and is 60-12 (.826) all-time at Comcast Center. The Terps have won 22 of their last 25 at home dating back to 2003-04.
• The Terps are 215-47 (.819) at home under Gary Williams (155-35 at Cole Field House).
• Maryland is 126-19 (.867) at home the last ten seasons (since 1997-98).
• Maryland has won 32 of its last 33 non-conference games at Comcast Center under Williams.
• The Terps are 121-2 (.983) in non-conference home games under Williams.
• Maryland was 476-151 in 47 seasons at Cole Field House; 169-90 in 24 seasons at Ritchie Coliseum and 61-21 in eight seasons at The Gymnasium.
