Jan. 2, 2009
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
Maryland takes its 10-2 record into a Saturday afternoon matchup with Charlotte as the Terrapins continue their seven-game, month-long homestand at Comcast Center. The Terrapins have won six straight games and last Tuesday's 76-50 victory over Elon capped Maryland's first perfect December since the 2000-01 season. The 49ers come into today's game with a 5-6 record and carrying a four-game winning streak since snapping a six-game losing skid early in the season.
* Maryland is 8-0 at home thus far this season and have three games remaining on the homestand before playing away from Comcast Center. The Terps host Charlotte this afternoon, in-state rival Morgan State on Jan. 7 and open their Atlantic Coast Conference slate on Jan. 10 at home against Georgia Tech. Maryland's first official road game comes on Jan. 14 when the Terps travel to Miami. Maryland's six-game winning streak is the longest since the Terps closed the 2006-07 regular season with seven straight victories from 2/11/2007 to 3/3/2007.
* The Terrapins' defense has been particularly strong recently. Maryland has held each of its last five opponents under 60 points and its last three opponents - American, Bryant and Elon - to 51 points or less. The Terrapins are second in the ACC in scoring defense with a 60.5 average, trailing only NC State (60.3) in that category. The Terps are allowing their opponents only a .391 field-goal percentage and only a .282 mark from 3-point range. Maryland is forcing opponents to turn over the ball 16.7 times each outing.
* Junior guard Greivis Vasquez continues to lead Maryland in a number of categories. Vasquez is scoring 17.3 points per game, averaging 6.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game, all marks that lead the Terps so far this year. Vasquez leads the ACC with a .913 free-throw percentage and is the only individual in the league who qualifies with enough free-throw attempts per game with a mark higher than 90 percent. He comes into today's game tied for fifth in the league in scoring, 19th in rebounding, fourth in assists, ninth in steals, ninth in 3-pointers per game, fifth in assist/turnover ratio and fourth in minutes played.
* The Terrapins are on a blistering pace at the free-throw line this season. Maryland's free-throw percentage of .791 was sixth in the nation recently and comfortably leads the ACC. Virginia Tech is second in the league at the line at .743. The Terps are on pace to shatter the school record for percentage at the line, as the 1976 team hit .758 from the stripe that season. Eric Hayes is 21-for-22 at the line this year but doesn't have enough attempts to qualify for the national or league leaders.
* Senior forward Dave Neal led the Terps with 10 rebounds in the last game against Elon, marking the first time he's hit double figures on the boards in his career. Neal just missed his first career double-double, as he added nine points to his effort last Tuesday evening. Neal is third on the team with a 4.3 rebounds-per-game average, behind only Vasquez and Landon Milbourne (4.8 rpg).
* Charlotte enters today's game on a four-game winning streak, having won road games at Southern Illinois and Mississippi State before earning home wins over Youngstown State and Long Island. Two of the 49ers losses have come in overtime (at Appalachian State and vs. Cal St. Fullerton), with two others being one-point losses at home (Old Dominion and Clemson). Youngstown State is the lone common opponent so far this season for the Terrapins and 49ers, with Maryland owning a 73-49 win over the Penguins on Nov. 18 and Charlotte having a 100-80 home win on Dec. 21. Maryland won in Charlotte last season, 76-72, on Jan. 5 and holds a 2-0 edge in the all-time series against the 49ers.
* The 49ers have four players averaging in double figures, led by senior forward Lamont Mack, who averages 12.2 points per game. Junior guard Ian Anderson has 34 3-pointers in Charlotte's first 11 games and is averaging 10.6 points per game. Charlotte's leading rebounder is senior forward Charlie Coley, who is pulling down 6.7 boards each game. DiJuan Harris is averaging 6.0 assists per game.
