Feb. 5, 2007

Game Notes

Maryland opens a two-game homestand in the Atlantic Coast Conference, as the Terrapins play host to the Virginia Cavaliers on Tuesday (Feb. 6). Tip-off is set for 9:00 p.m. at Comcast Center. The game can be heard on the Terrapin Sports Radio Network and will be televised locally on Comcast SportsNet.
• The Terps carry a mark of 17-6 (3-5 ACC) into the contest, while Virginia is 15-6 (7-2 ACC).
• Maryland senior D.J. Strawberry leads the Terps with 14.8 points per game. He is 14th in the Atlantic Coast Conference in scoring. Junior guard Sean Singletary leads the Cavaliers with 19.0 points per game. He is the second leading scorer in the ACC and ranks fifth in assists (4.95 apg). Senior guard J.R. Reynolds is fifth in the league in scoring with 18.5 points per game.
• Tuesday's game marks the 166th meeting between the two schools. Maryland leads the all-time series 101-64. The Terrapins have won nine of the last 12 meetings between the two schools. The Cavaliers captured the first meeting between the two schools this season with a 103-91 win in Charlottesville on January 16.
• Head coach Gary Williams became just the third coach in ACC history to record 150 victories in conference play with Maryland's 79-72 win over Wake Forest.

Maryland has displayed a balanced offensive attack this season. The Terps boast the third highest scoring average in the league (80.5 ppg), and have four players averaging double figures.
• Strawberry leads the team with 14.8 points per game. James Gist is averaging 12.8 points per game, while Mike Jones is averaging 12.6 points per contest. Ekene Ibekwe is averaging 11.1 points.
• Jones and Strawberry have each led the team in scoring eight times this season. Ibekwe and Gist have led the Terps in the scoring column in four games this season.
• Maryland has outscored its opponents by an average of 13.0 points per game this season. That is the second best scoring margin in the ACC behind North Carolina (22.0).

Maryland shot 53 percent (28-of-53) from the field and held the Demon Deacons to 41 percent (26-63) from the floor as the Terrapins downed Wake Forest on Saturday (Feb. 3), 79-72. The Terps utilized their advantage on the front line, outscoring the Deacs, 46-34, in the paint. The Terrapins built a 23-point lead midway through the second half and withstood a late rally by the Demon Deacons to hold on for the victory.
• Junior James Gist scored a team-high 17 points in the victory. Gist connected on 6-of-11 shots from the field and went 5-of-6 from the free throw line. He tied his career high with four assists.
• Senior Ekene Ibekwe recorded his sixth double-double of the season and 12th of his career with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Ibekwe became the 44th player in school history to reach the 1,000-point plateau and now has 1,007 career points. He became just the fourth player in school history to record 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, and 200 blocked shots.
• Eric Hayes came off the bench and tied his season high with 12 points at Wake Forest. Hayes went 3-of-6 from the field, including 2-of-4 from beyond the arc. He added four free throws and three assists in 22 minutes.
• Senior Will Bowers scored a season-high seven points at Wake Forest. Bowers finished 3-of-5 from the field and grabbed two rebounds. He also tallied two blocked shots in 13 minutes.

The Terps have made a renewed commitment to defense in 2006-07. Maryland has forced its opponents into an average of 17.9 turnovers per game this season.
• The Terps lead the ACC and are fourth in the nation in field goal percentage defense (.382).
• Maryland's opponents are shooting just 29 percent (132-of-457) from three-point range which ranks second in the league.
• The Terps are averaging 7.8 steals per game and have recorded 167 blocked shots through 23 games.
• Maryland is tops in the ACC and second in the nation with 7.3 blocked shots per game.

Seniors Ekene Ibekwe and Mike Jones are among elite company at the University of Maryland:
• With nine points at Florida State, Mike Jones became the 43rd Terrapin to reach the 1,000-point plateau. Jones has 1,002 points for his career.
• Ibekwe scored 16 points at Wake Forest and now has 1,007 points as a Terrapin. With his 700 career rebounds, Ibekwe is became just the 21st Terrapin to record 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in a career. With 205 blocks to his credit he just the fourth Terp to tally 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 200 blocked shots, joining Lonny Baxter (1999-02), Terence Morris (1998-01) and Derrick Lewis (1985-88).
• Ibekwe's 205 career blocked shots makes him just the 21st player in ACC history to reach the 200-blocks plateau.

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 seventh in school history with 187 career steals. He was named Honorable Mention All-ACC Defensive Team in 2005-06.
• Ibekwe sits in fifth place on the school's all-time blocked shots list. The Carson, Calif., native has 205 career rejections at Maryland and has averaged 1.8 blocked shots per game.
• With ten rebounds against Wake Forest, Ibekwe moved into 15th place on the school's all-time rebounding list. The senior forward has 700 career rebounds.
• Ibekwe has attempted 447 career free throws and ranks 12th all-time at Maryland.
• 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 178 three-point field goals, which is fourth on the school's all-time list. Jones has hoisted 444 shots from beyond the arc, which is the fifth highest total in school history.
• Gist has totaled 136 blocked shots during his three seasons in College Park. He is ninth on the school's all-time list and has averaged 1.5 blocks per game.

Freshman Greivis Vasquez has tallied 92 assists this season and is well on his way to recording one of the top assist totals among freshman point guards at Maryland. Vasquez is seventh on the all-time freshman assists list, while Eric Hayes is tied for ninth with 87.
• Steve Blake (2000-03) owns the school record with 217 assists as a freshman in 2000.

Maryland leads the all-time series with Virginia, 101-64, dating back to the first meeting in 1923-24.
• Virginia snapped Maryland's six-game winning streak over the Cavaliers with a 103-91 victory in Charlottesville on January 16.
• The Terps have won nine of the last 12 meetings. Dating back to 1996, Maryland has won 17 of the last 23 games with UVA.
• The Terps swept Virginia last season, winning 76-65 at Comcast Center and 71-70 at University Hall.
• Head coach Gary Williams is 22-15 all-time against Virginia, including a 22-14 mark as head coach at Maryland. He lost to the Cavaliers as head coach at Boston College in 1982-83.

Maryland has been a dominant home team over the years.
• The Terps are 774-275 (.738) all-time at home dating back to 1923-24. • Maryland went 14-3 (82.3%) at home last season and is 68-13 (.842) all-time at Comcast Center. The Terps have won 30 of their last 34 at home dating back to 2003-04.
• The Terps are 223-48 (.823) at home under Gary Williams (155-35 at Cole Field House).
• Maryland is 134-20 (.870) at home the last ten seasons (since 1997-98). The Terps are the only ACC team to have a better home winning percentage than Duke's road winning percentage (.812) over the past 10 seasons.
• Maryland has won 38 of its last 39 non-conference games at Comcast Center under Williams.
• The Terps are 125-2 (.984) 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.

Maryland is in its 54th season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Terps were a charter member of the conference in 1953-54 after 30 years as a member of the Southern Conference.
• The Terps are 382-375 (.507) all-time in ACC games.
• Maryland is 240-140 (.631) in ACC home games.
• Maryland is 143-235 (.381) in ACC away games.
• Under Gary Williams, Maryland is 150-127 (.546) in ACC play.
• Maryland is 92-45 (.672) at home in ACC games under Williams, including a 23-11 (.676) mark at the Comcast Center.
• The Terps have captured three ACC Tournament Championships: 1958,1984 and 2004.