A little early-season adversity never hurt anybody. After playing without two starters in Sunday?s season opener, Maryland snuck past a pesky Hampton team, 70-64, Monday night at Comcast Center.
“They put the pressure on us,” Maryland coach Gary Williams said. “When its over, its great to bein a game where your under the gun this early in the season. That certainly helps you.”
The Terrapins (2-0) advance to the semifinals of the O?Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic, and will play Nov. 19 in Kansas City, Mo. ? perhaps against No. 2 UCLA.
The Terps committed 22 turnovers Monday, allowing Hampton to erase a 14-point deficit and temporarily grab a one-point lead with 1:34 remaining.
“We’ve got some experienced players who think they can get away with stuff like making careless passes, not working hard to make sure you don’t walk on a power move,” Williams said. “It’s a matter of concentration. That’s a matter of really trying to get it in practice so that when it comes time to do it in a game, it becomes automatic. We’re a long way away from there.”
Sophomore guard Greivis Vasquez gave Hampton some openings with eight turnovers, but his career-best 21 points ? including six straight late in the second half ? kept Maryland in the game. He earned the College Park Regional MVP, playing in a career-high 39 minutes.
He hit a clutch three-pointer to re-gain the lead with 1:17 to play, shimmying at mid-court as the Comcast Center crowd erupted.
“I think you see the strength of Greivis after eight turnovers to make that shot,” Williams said “A lot of guys couldn?t do that. It was an unbelievable shot. He can play much better.”
Maryland faces Northeastern Thursday at 8 p.m., potentially without key reserve Dave Neal, who after the game was wearing a sling on his left arm to protect an injured left shoulder.
The Terps did welcome back senior forward James Gist and sophomore forward Landon Milbourne, who missed Sunday?s game due to a suspension stemming from an NCAA violation.
“It means a lot,” Vasquez said of Gist?s return. “James is the best player we?ve got. We need him and he did a pretty good job today.”
Gist had 11 points and seven rebounds in the first half, and battled through leg craps to finish with 16 points and 12 rebounds.
“I just tried to keep pushing and pushing. I just kept telling coach I wanted to get back in,” said Gist, who began feeling the cramps about two minutes into the second half. “I felt like I needed to be out there.”
Maryland was hampered by a 10-for-20 performance at the free throw line in the second half ? senior forward Bambale Osby was 0-for-6 in that stretch.
Hampton was led by guard Rashad West, who scored 23 points on 9-of-16 shooting, including 5-of-9 from three-point range.
CONSOLATION GAME » TULSA 83, NORTH FLORIDA 66
After it was displaced by Maryland, 79-50, Sunday night, North Florida fell to Tulsa in the consolation game of the O?Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic.
Tulsa (1-1) held a 39-30 halftime lead on its way to an 83-66 win. Guard Ben Uzoh scored 20 points ? 13 of them in the second half. Guard Rod Earls had 18 points and a game-high eight rebounds.
North Florida (0-2) got 17 points from guard Tom Hammonds and 13 points from forward Justin Cecil, but was out-rebounded, 32-21.
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