Tobacco Road Report

By Michael

As we mentioned in our weekend preview, which can be found here, this was an important game for both teams. Maryland and Clemson both entered this game with identical 5-6 conference records, with the NCAA Tournament selection committee rarely taking more than one ACC team with a sub-500 record in conference. Maryland's offense was better today, and the Terrapins held onto the defensive glass enough to emerge with a solid 82-66 win on the road.

Gary Williams' move to insert Greivis Vasquez into the starting lineup several weeks ago is beginning to pay off for the Terrapins. The move has worked well given Vasquez's penchant for finding dribble penetration and excellent open-court vision. Strawberry and Jones appear to be much more comfortable playing off the ball and feeding off of Vasquez.

Against Clemson, Vasquez turned in a stellar performance with 15 points and 11 assists against only 2 turnovers. Strawberry had one of his best performances this year with 22 points on only 15 field goal attempts. Finally, Mike Jones finished with 10 points, but his buckets seemed to come in crucial moments.

With the backcourt humming along, the four-headed monster of Gist, Ibekwe, Bowers, and Osby provided just enough offensive balance and defensive rebounding presence to get this victory secured.

Clemson made a run in the second half to cut the Maryland lead to 59-58 with a strong effort on the offensive glass. Though Maryland recorded a defensive rebounding percentage of 69 percent -- their highest level in conference play so far -- Clemson seemed particularly adept at getting offensive put-backs during their second half run.

Clemson did have four players in double figures, with Hammonds leading the way with 16 points on 4 of 9 three point attempts to go with his 10 assists. Mays, however, wasn't his usual offensive force, finishing with only 10 points and not providing enough inside-outside balance. 16 Clemson turnovers were also an issue.

Defensive rebounding has been a problem for Maryland all season and today was no different. The Terrapins have to remember that the defensive effort does not end until the rebound is secured. After all, Maryland shot an EFG% of 57 percent to Clemson's 48 percent, and Maryland only attempted 9 three pointers, hitting two. The offense was too effective in slicing apart the Tiger defense and getting points in the paint to warrant many three point attempts. The second chance points were what kept this closer than the final score indicated.

With this victory, Maryland (20-7, 6-6) climbed back into the tournament field. The Terrapins have a tough remaining schedule with both Duke and UNC on the slate, and they likely have to split the rest of the way to get in.

Clemson, on the other hand, is now 19-7 overall but only 5-7 in conference. With Duke, BC, and Virginia Tech left on the schedule, earning a tournament bid will be difficult. That's the bad news. The good news is that these are the signature wins that could push them into the tournament field. Difficult, but not completely out of it yet.