Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 6, 1994 TAG: 9403060182
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: COLLEGE PARK, MD. LENGTH: Medium
Gary Williams wasn't shocked to see Maryland go more than eight minutes without a field goal, shoot 37.7 percent and still win Saturday.
"Virginia's been doing it all season," Williams, Maryland's coach, said.
The Terrapins compensated by making 27 of 30 free throws and held off UVa 70-68 in the first of two basketball games the teams will play in six days.
The eighth sellout crowd of the season at 14,500-seat Cole Field House watched Maryland (16-10 overall, 8-8 ACC) put itself in position for its first NCAA Tournament bid since 1988.
Things are a little more iffy for Virginia (15-11, 8-8) because no team with fewer than 16 victories has ever received an at large-bid to the tournament, although Georgetown got an invitation in 1991 with 14 Division I wins (16-12 overall).
"It's not written in stone that anybody has to have 16 wins," UVa coach Jeff Jones said. "I think it would be very difficult for us, or anybody, to get in with 15. It would certainly behoove us to win Friday."
The Cavaliers and Terrapins, tied for fourth in the ACC, will meet at noon at the Charlotte Coliseum in the conference tournament quarterfinals.
"Can't wait," said UVa freshman Jamal Robinson, whose sentiments were echoed by several teammates. "We've got to get them back. We were really flat today, like we weren't really into it."
Robinson was referring to a seven-minute stretch early in the second half when Maryland scored on 11 consecutive possessions and took a 55-42 lead after a Johnny Rhodes 3-pointer with 11 minutes, 15 seconds remaining.
Although the Terrapins made one field goal the rest of the way, they were uncanny at the free-throw line. They hit 16 in a row before Mario Lucas missed two with 6:51 left, then went 11-of-12 over the last 5:23.
Sophomore point guard Duane Simpkins hit all 11 of his free throws, including 10 in the second half. He has made 30 in a row over the past eight games.
"I wish you hadn't told me that," said Simpkins, who said he had never hit more than 29 consecutive free throws in practice. "Now, I'll come out and probably miss my first attempt Friday."
Several Virginia coaches and players were upset that the Cavaliers attempted just 10 free throws, of which they hit six. UVa was 20-of-31 on free throws in a 73-66 victory over Maryland in Charlottesville.
"Maryland plays pressure defense the whole game [Saturday] and we don't get in the bonus either half," UVa assistant Tom Perrin said. "Very one-sided; wouldn't you say?"
Jones, who likely would receive a reprimand from the ACC office if he bellyached too much, at first said he didn't want to discuss the free throws.
"I'll give you one quote: It's a helluva lot harder to guard them at the free-throw line than it is out on the floor," he said.
Much of the fouling came during the early part of the second half as the Cavaliers collected seven fouls and put Maryland in the bonus with 12:58 remaining.
"Defensively, we just didn't move our feet," Jones said. "We were in position and they just put their heads down and drove to the basket. They did it whether we were playing man-to-man or zone."
Joe Smith, the leading freshman scorer in Division I, had 20 points to pace four Terrapins in double figures. Smith, from Maury High School in Norfolk, added 11 rebounds in registering his 16th double-double of the season.
Smith drew the defensive assignment on Junior Burrough, who had 14 points and 11 rebounds for Virginia but did not hurt the Terrapins the way he did in the first game, when he had 26 and 13.
"Coach [Art] Perry called me Thursday morning to say I would be guarding him," said Smith, who had Yuri Barnes in the first game. "I just wanted to deny him the ball and shut him down."
Virginia got most of its offense in the second half from freshmen Harold Deane and Robinson, who shared team scoring honors with 16 points. It was a career-high for Robinson, who was 7-of-10 from the field.
It was the first time in 12 games this season that UVa had shot a higher percentage (48.3) than its opponent and lost. The Cavaliers shot 51.7 percent in the second half and committed four turnovers but were outscored 40-38.
UVa, which trailed by 13 points with eight minutes left, cut the deficit to three points on three occasions in the final minute but got only as close as two on a 3-pointer by Cornel Parker at the buzzer.
"I think it's important that we didn't get blown out," Parker said. "Of course, it's a negative that we lost, but maybe something positive can come out of this."
by CNB