By Sean Welsh
Examiner Staff Writer
Maryland dominated the tempo of play in the second half and erased a halftime deficit in an 85-75, non-conference win against Charlotte at Comcast Center Saturday.
Junior guard Greivis Vasquez scored 27 and Maryland (11-2) built on a 6-0 December with its first victory of 2009 — arguably its most impressive of the season.
Maryland trailed by as many as 11 points, and recovered to lead by 21 with 6:03 remaining in regulation.
“The way that thing started, we could have been down by 20,” Maryland coach Gary Williams said. “We really fought. I thought our defense in the last ten minutes of the first half was good enough, we just couldn’t get our offense going.”
The Terrapins used a 16-0 run over three minutes and ten seconds early in the second half to erase a 41-38 Charlotte (5-7) lead.
From the 14:37 mark until 11:27 remained on the game clock, Maryland went on an offensive barrage, led by five points from Vasquez. Maryland hit two three-pointers in the series and shot 9-of-22 (40.9 percent) from long-rage for the game. The nine threes tied a season-high.
The Terrapins shot just 36.4 percent from the floor in the first half, and trailed, 41-38, at intermission. They recovered to
Charlotte hit four threes in the opening five minutes and used an 8-0 run to open up a lead which grew as large as 11. But the Terrapins rebounded off a timeout at 15:21 with a 10-0 run. They would use another 8-0 run in the final five minutes of the first half to keep things close.
Five Terrapins finished with double-figures in scoring, including freshman Sean Mosley, who had a career-best 11 points off the bench.
“Sean Mosley is going to be a very good player,” Williams said. “He had an outstanding high school career. Today was a big day for Sean.”
Mosley, who was The Examiner Player of the Year as a senior for St. Frances Academy last season, was 4-of-6 from the field, including 2-for-2 from three-point range.
Junior forward Landon Milbourne was 5-of-9 from the field for 13 points, and guards Eric Hayes and Adrian Bowie each added 10 points.
Maryland won the rebounding battle, 40-30, as four Terrapins finished with five rebounds.
Maryland is now 9-0 at home and carries a seven-game win streak into its final non-conference game.
The Terrapins close out the early portion of schedule Wednesday, when Morgan State visits Comcast Center for an 8 p.m. tip. Maryland opens the Atlantic Coast Conference schedule Jan. 10 at noon against Georgia Tech at Comcast Center.
