Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 20, 1991 TAG: 9102200304
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SCOTT BLANCHARD SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
"Oh, nooo!" a Terrapins witness screamed, zinging his teammate. "Not Garfield!"
Yes, Garfield.
That's what Virginia Tech's basketball team is mumbling today after Maryland junior forward Garfield Smith had 18 second-half points, including seven in a key Terrapins surge, as Maryland topped Tech 82-67 before 6,472 at Cassell Coliseum.
"We just didn't defend as good as we should have," said Tech freshman Jimmy Carruth, who had a high-profile night with a career-high five blocked shots in 20 minutes.
Nor did the Hokies (10-14) figure the 6-foot-6, 223-pound Smith, averaging 10.4 points, would more than double his per-game mark with 24. A variety of Adrian Dantley-type inside moves, most coming after starting center Cedric Lewis sat down with four fouls, did the trick.
Maryland coach Gary Williams said he told Smith to be more aggressive after one of Smith's shots was blocked. Smith said he wasn't as chastised as Williams thought.
"I've been playing against bigger guys all year long," Smith said. "Getting my shot blocked is nothing. He's not going to get them all.
"The best I could do was keep working hard. . . . I just tried to keep the feeling going."
Maryland (14-10) guaranteed itself at least a .500 season by winning for the first time in Cassell Coliseum - it was Maryland's first game in Blacksburg in 37 years. Maryland was the first ACC team to play in Cassell since a 1984 National Invitation Tournament game against Georgia Tech.
Maryland won only its second road game of the year against seven losses. Forward Vince Broadnax helped with 16 points. Lewis, a 6-9 senior, had three blocked shots - thus ensuring that he will finish with the ACC record for blocked-shot average in a season, beating Ralph Sampson's 1980 mark of 4.6.
The Hokies got a career high-tying 16 rebounds from John Rivers but fell to 6-7 against non-Metro Conference foes and had their two-game win streak end.
"The scene was set for us to do something tonight," said Tech coach Frankie Allen, whose Hokies play Metro opponents Florida State, South Carolina and Memphis State to end the regular season. "Maryland was winning a lot of games. . . . Still, we're at home and I felt like this was a great opportunity for us."
The opportunity came and went in a flash. Just when Carruth's three-point play brought the Hokies to the threshold, Tech disappeared.
With 8:59 left, Carruth's dunk and free throw juiced the crowd and cut a one-time 14-point Maryland lead to 58-54.
Radio time out. Layup off an inbounds pass, Smith, 60-54 Maryland. Missed layup, Antony Moses. Layup, Smith, 62-54 Maryland. Missed 3-pointer, Moses. Driving layup, Kevin McLinton, 64-54 Maryland. Missed 3-pointer, Rod Wheeler. Fast-break layup, Matthew Downing, 66-54 Maryland.
Time out, Virginia Tech.
Time in. Missed jumper, Wheeler. Three-point play, Smith, 69-56 Maryland, 6:30 left.
Loss, Virginia Tech.
"We were trying to get it all back in one play," Tech's Don Corker said. "That kind of messed up the whole nucleus of the offense and everyone started looking out for themselves."
Carruth thought he had sparked a rally, only to find the rally was Maryland's.
"It surprised me a lot, because I thought some of our teammates were going to step up and take a little drive from that," Carruth said.
Maryland's pressing defense helped flatten Tech's mild offense, forcing 27 Hokies turnovers - their most at home this year - and holding Tech to 34 percent field-goal shooting, its fifth-lowest mark of the year.
Tech missed 20 of its last 23 shots, covering the game's last 8 1/2 minutes.
"Their defense was good," Carruth said, "but it wasn't as good as Cincinnati's or Louisville's. We just killed ourselves out there."
MD. MPFGFTRAFPT Broadnax 356-94-680316Smith 3511-172-462324Lewis 264-81-19049Roe 342-127-1234111McLinton 312-71-26845Burns 224-105-671313Downing 172-20-00014Totals 20031-6520-3139151982 VA. TECH MPFGFTRAFPT Moses 182-93-43107Rivers 324-111-216249Wilson 152-21-26015Purcell 214-123-453213Wheeler 332-140-03225Corker 243-77-942313Carruth 202-21-13005Elliott 242-50-13225Jackson 102-40-01055Williams 20-20-01000Herbster 10-00-00010Totals 20023-6816-2347122067 Rebounds include team rebounds Score by periods: Maryland38-44-82 Virginia Tech28-39-67
Three-point goals - Maryland: Roe 0-4, Total 0-4. Virginia Tech: Moses 0-3, Rivers 0-1, Purcell 2-5, Wheeler 1-7, Corker 0-1, Elliott 1-3, Jackson 1-3, Total 5-23.
Turnovers - Maryland 17 (McLinton 5); Virginia Tech 27 (Purcell, Rivers 5). Blocked shots - Maryland 6 (Lewis 3); Virginia Tech 12 (Carruth 5). Steals - Maryland 10 (Smith, Burns 3); Virginia Tech 6 (Corker 4).
Officials - Hikel, Bair, Rose. Attendance - 6,472.
by CNB