Dec. 26, 2008

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Maryland, now 8-2 overall, returns from the holidays to put its four-game winning streak on the line against Bryant University. The Terrapins are coming off a 67-51 victory over crosstown rival American University on Monday. A victory in today's game would mark the longest winning streak for the Terrapins since they won seven straight (2/11 through 3/3) during the 2006-07 season. The Bulldogs are 1-9 following their 91-64 loss at Providence, also on Monday night.

* Maryland is playing the third in a seven-game homestand surrounding the holiday season. The Terrapins have already beaten Delaware State and American on the homestand. Following the matchup with Bryant, Maryland will host non-conference games against Elon, Charlotte and Morgan State before opening Atlantic Coast Conference action on 1/10 against Georgia Tech. Maryland's first road game of the season, playing in another team's home arena, is 1/14 at Miami as part of a road trip that will take the Terps to Miami and Florida State (1/17).

* The Terrapins' schedule is one of the most difficult in the nation this season. Maryland either has played or will play four of the teams ranked in the top seven in both the Associated Press and ESPN / USA Today coaches polls (#1 North Carolina, #5 Duke, #6 Wake Forest, #7 Gonzaga) and five of the top nine in the coaches' rankings (#9 Georgetown). Nine teams either ranked or receiving votes in the AP poll are on the schedule. The Terps own wins over Michigan State (11th in AP) and Michigan (24th) this year.

Noting the Bulldogs

Bryant, in the first of a four-year transition to NCAA Division I, has played an extremely difficult schedule this season, particularly in December...

The Bulldogs lost at second-ranked Connecticut, 88-58, on 11/29, and has also played Iowa (63-36 loss), Boston College (80-61 loss), Rutgers (67-37 loss) and Providence (91-64 loss)...

Bryant is on a two-game road trip to the state of Maryland and will travel from College Park to Emmitsburg for a matchup Monday night with future NEC foe Mount St. Mary's...

Bryant's win this season was a 59-50 triumph over Quinnipiac at the Columbia Tournament on 11/22...

Junior swingman Cecil Gresham is Bryant's leading scorer, averaging 15.9 points per game this season... He is also the Bulldogs' leading three-point threat, having made 27 so far this year...

Senior forward Andrew Lyell leads on the boards with a 4.0 rpg average, with junior guard Chris Birrell topping Bulldogs with 34 assists and 18 steals.

Gary Williams' 20th Season

Head coach Gary Williams reaches another in a career filled with milestones when he coaches his alma mater for the 20th season in 2008-09...

He is the 6th-winningest active head coach in NCAA Division I men's basketball with an overall record of 612-345 (.639)... He ranks 2nd among active ACC coaches with 405 wins at Maryland (3rd all-time) and also ranks second among active league coaches with 165 ACC victories. Williams is the Terps' all-time winningest coach...

He earned his 400th victory at his alma mater on 11/21 with an overtime win over Vermont... His 397 wins in 19 years at the beginning of the season were an average of 20.9 wins per season with the Terps...

Maryland's 70-65 victory over Boston College (2/6/2008) gave Williams his 600th career victory... Only five other active head coaches in Division I have 600 career wins...

Williams picked up his 400th victory at Maryland against Vermont (11/21)... The milestone came in dramatic fashion, as Vasquez buried a 3-pointer with 6 seconds left to force overtime... The Terps scored the first 17 points of the extra period, earning the most lopsided OT victory in school history with a 17-2 edge in the extra session... Williams picked up the victory over former assistant Mike Lonergan, now in his 4th season as head coach at Vermont.

Milestones, Streaks, etc.