Terps lose at UNC; The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

The University of Maryland fell to 18-11 overall, and 7-7 in the Atlantic Coast Conference with a 87-76 loss to #19 North Carolina. Seemingly faced with a size-differential at every position, Maryland had a lot of trouble limiting second chances for the Tar Heels.

With the loss, Maryland’s NCAA Tournament hopes are on critical life-support. To have a chance, they will need to win their two games this week (at Miami, vs. UVA) and probably win two games in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament. Even if the Terps grab those four additional ACC wins, MD will be squarely on the bubble come Selection Sunday.

The Good:

1) Down 13 to 5 five minutes into the game, the Terps went on a 8-0 run over the next three minutes to tie the game. The run was sparked by defensive stops,  getting out in transition and avoiding 1/2 court sets against the UNC defense.

2) Another game, another beautiful interior pass from Howard.

3) Tremendous defensive play from Mosley getting back to contest a Reggie Bullock layup.

4) Stoglin’s play overall was impressive and should not go unnoticed. On a night where many of his teammates came-up small, Stoglin did his part to give Maryland a chance. 28 points from a Freshman on the road at North Carolina is a major statement.

5) Nobody would confuse tonight with one of Jordan Williams’ better games, and he still manged 16 points, 19 boards, 3 steals, and 3 blocks.

6) I’ll give credit to Maryland for battling on the glass. (UNC won 46-42) The Terps grabbed 14 offensive boards.

The Bad:

1) Three times in the first four minutes of the game, Maryland lost North Carolina’s star Freshman Harrison Barnes on the perimeter.

2) Mosley blew an easy alley-oop that should have been converted.

3) Padgett was having all sorts of troubles on both ends of the floor dealing with the size of North Carolina.

3a) Weijs needed to come off the bench far earlier than he did (under 8 minute mark of the 2nd half).

4) Down 34-27 with just under 5 minutes left in the first-half, Howard threw up an air-ball 3 pointer, made worse because none of his teammates were in position to compete for the rebound.

5) Just around the 3 minute mark of the first-half, UNC pushed their lead back to 10 after coming-up with 5 or 6 loose balls and shots.

6) Despite the stat-line, Williams did not have a great game. He had several bad passes, missed some interior looks and was not able to defend the taller Tyler Zeller.

7) Maryland kept the overall rebounding margin close, but on many critical possessions were not able to get the ball back. The Terps allowed UNC to get 19 offensive rebounds.

8) The Terps had just 12 assists on their 30 Field Goals.

The Ugly:

1) In the 2nd half MD had closed the lead to 9 (58-49) and was on a fast-break. Tucker (perhaps afraid of picking up a charge, or having his shot blocked) kicked the ball out to Howard for a 3 point attempt. I thought this was a poor decision that again gave momentum back to North Carolina.

2) I hate crushing Bowie, and Tucker. I think they have both been good program guys which have helped Maryland plenty of times during their 4 years in College Park. Their lack of consistency in their Senior years though has been a disappointment. When you see a Freshman attacking UNC and making plays, the lack of production from Tucker and Bowie becomes that much more apparent. The Seniors combined to go 5 of 12 from the floor for 12 points, 4 boards, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 3 turnovers. Simply not enough from them to have a chance at the upset.

Up-Next:

Many labeled tonight a must win game for the Terps, and those people ultimately might be proven correct. There is no-doubt about Wednesday night in Miami. If the Terps lose to the Hurricanes (17-12, 5-9), the only way MD would go the NCAA Tournament is by winning the ACC Tournament.