Until their win over North Carolina, the inconsistent Maryland Terrapins were called a lot of things. Scary wasn?t one of them.
Now, Atlantic Coast Conference teams are having nightmares about the Terrapins? senior low-post duo of James Gist and Bambale Osby.
“We had trouble with their big guys,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewksi said after the Blue Devils? 93-84 win over Maryland Sunday. “A lot of people have had trouble with them, and we?ll continue to have trouble with them because they?re good.”
Gist scored 26 points and Osby added 20 with 15 rebounds in the defeat. Maryland has scored 25 or more points in the paint in all but one game this season ? the 67-59 loss to American Dec. 22. Maryland (12-8, 1-3 ACC) hopes for similar play inside when it hosts Virginia (11-7, 1-4) tonight at 7 at the Comcast Center. The Cavaliers have lost two straight, including a 92-82 setback to Georgia Tech on Sunday.
Duke made a concentrated effort to limit Maryland?s interior looks in the second half ? the Terrapins scored 48 points in the paint, but were outscored inside in the second half, 22-18.
“They really came after us on the post,” Osby said. “They did a good job of fronting me down in the paint and having a guy behind me as soon as they caught it. They did a good job of taking James out of the paint.”
Osby had 12 first-half points with nine rebounds, and Gist scored 14 with three rebounds. Neither was as effective in the second half, and Duke won in comeback fashion.
“We did a good enough job on them,” Duke sophomore Gerald Henderson said. “On the start of the first half, they were getting whatever they wanted. But we came and stepped it up a little bit and tried to get the ball out of their hands and defend other guys.”
Gist, who came to campus four years ago with immense potential, is starting to open some eyes in the ACC with back-to-back 20-point games. The 6-foot-9 forward averages 15.4 points per game, trailing only Greivis Vasquez?s team-high average of 16.5.
“Gist is a pro, he?s really good. He?s really as good as any big kid in our league,” Krzyzewksi said. “I think he?s playing like a senior. He?s a heck of a player.”
The Terrapins desperately wanted to beat Duke Sunday. Overcoming that loss will be a tall task for Maryland?s senior big men.
“You?d best believe I?ve got that date circled on my calendar [when Maryland visits Duke Feb. 13],” Gist said. “It?s going to hurt right now, but we?ve got to get ready for Virginia.”
