Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, March 13, 1992 TAG: 9203130180
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
DATELINE: CHARLOTTE, N.C. LENGTH: Medium
Maryland shot 29.6 percent from the field but pulled away for an 81-75 victory over Clemson, which committed 24 turnovers and missed 16 free throws.
The Terrapins (14-14) were led by All-ACC guard Walt Williams, who scored 38 points despite making only two of 13 shots after halftime.
Maryland, which is on probation and ineligible to play in the NCAA Tournament, will provide the opposition today for top-seeded and No. 1-ranked Duke (25-2) at 2 p.m. Clemson (14-14) can only hope that it will be considered for an invitation to the NCAA Tournament.
Tournament officials, expecting a small turnout, were pleasantly surprised at the crowd of 16,013 at Charlotte Coliseum, where the capacity for basketball is 23,532.
Maryland jumped to a 24-15 lead behind Williams, who scored 16 points in the first 9:16. The Terps missed their next 13 shots and went more than eight minutes without scoring from the field.
Williams had 26 points at halftime, going 9-of-15 from the field, as the Terrapins trailed 39-36. The rest of the team was 4-of-26.
"Walt's performance was great, even for Walt," Maryland coach Gary Williams said. "Walt gives us what we need and he delivered for us in the first half. We couldn't score any other way."
Williams stole the ball and dunked behind his head after 10 seconds of the second half, but he missed his next eight shots and finished 11-of-29 from the field.
"It wasn't fatigue," Williams said. "My shot wasn't falling."
To make matters worse, Maryland lost three starters to fouls and was reduced to playing seldom-used Kurtis Shultz, Wayne Bristol and Mike Thibeault.
Bristol hit a 3-pointer, and Shultz, a 6-foot-5, 238-pound transfer from Navy, had six points and four rebounds in 12 minutes.
Shultz had scored six points all season before Thursday night, hitting two of six free throws. Against the Tigers, he was 6-for-6 on free throws, all in the final 8:13.
Williams was 12-of-14 from the line and the Terrapins were 27-of-34 (79.4 percent). Clemson, shooting an ACC-low 60.2 percent on free throws, was 16-of-32.
"We shot well from the field [49.1 percent]," Clemson coach Cliff Ellis said, "but at this point in the season you've just got to be able to hit free throws."
Maryland had just three turnovers in each half, one reason it took 26 more shots from the field than the Tigers did. The Terps also had 11 steals, four by Williams.
Williams, who did not have more than eight rebounds in a game during the regular season, had 14 Thursday night.
"We know that Williams is going to get his 30 points, but we want it to be an ugly 30," Ellis said. "I thought the rebounds . . . hurt us the most. He is the difference in this basketball game."
Chris Whitney led the Tigers with 18 points but was only 5-of-16 from the field. \
see microfilm for box score
by CNB