Officially, Maryland played at a neutral site Thursday night against St. John?s in the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer.
However, it seemed a little more like a home game. Though Madison Square Garden is much closer to St. John?s than College Park, the Terrapin faithful flocked to the historic New York City venue for Maryland?s first trip out of the Comcast Center this season.
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The crowd was less than capacity for the opening night at the Coaches vs. Cancer championship round, but the majority of that crowd during the Terps 92-60 win over St. John?s was cheering for Maryland.
Bob Stull, 73, of Thurmont, and his wife, Shirley, were among about 80 Maryland fans that caught a train out of Baltimore for the finale of the tournament. Stull boasts that he and his wife go to every Terps home basketball game.
“We were at the tournament when is started at College Park and we wanted to see the end,” said Stull, who added that he and his wife make several Maryland road trips per year and have been going to the ACC basketball championship tournament for more than 25 years.
Paul Corderman and his fiance, Kerri Sacchet, left their Federal Hill home Thursday to catch the train to New York to see the Terps play. Corderman, 29, got his undergraduate degree from Maryland and Sacchet, 26, is going there for graduate school.
“We found out about this tournament a couple of months ago,” Corderman said. “The team travels well.”
Sacchet replied: “It feels good when you are at an away game and there are other fans with you.”
The feeling does not just stay in the stands. James Gist was more than happy to see and hear the support from the Terps? faithful who made the trip to New York.
“When they were announcing out names, it sounded like there were more Maryland fans than St. John?s fans,” Gist said. “That is what we need. When we play like we do, we are going to have a lot of fans out there.”
For 2003 Maryland alum Adam Littlefield, he will take any opportunity to catch the Terps. That includes trekking up to New York City and staying with his sister Sarah.
“Maryland has a great fan following,” Littlefield said. “At home they are rabid and on the road they travel well.”
The self-admitted staunch Terps fan was at MSG the last time Maryland played in this tournament to kick off its NCAA championship season. The traveling fans did not surprise Littlefield, but the Terps play has.
