If a thrilling overtime game ends in a loss, is it still thrilling? NO, DAMMIT! IT’S NOT! WE LOST!! Just couldn’t salvage the 85-83 squeaker. Here’s some points:
- Seriously, it was a great game. Wake tried to pull away in the second half but we wouldn’t let them. Maryland had shots to win…they just didn’t go in. The Terps lost, but didn’t lose their heads. How does the selection committee weight stuff like that?
- Al-Farouq Aminu is a multi-talented guy. Strong post player, big-time shot blocker, runs the floor, handles the ball, and he was great in The Blind Side. Got a bright future, this kid.
- After all of Gary’s hand-wringing about playing on short rest, the team didn’t gas. Let this end any lingering questions about team conditioning and/or yoga habits.
- Vasquez: 30 points, 7 assists, 3 rebounds, 6 turnovers. The Maryland bench: 14 points, 1 assist, 8 rebounds, 2 turnovers.
- While I’m on the bench, exactly one day after I said Cliff Tucker was on a roll and Adrian Bowie was the odd man out, Huxtable throws up a 2-0-0 and Bowie pours in a 10-1-4. I give up. Can’t we just meld these two into one player already?
- From the land of baseless second-guessing, I think Coach Williams may have kept Freshman Williams out a little too long at the end of the first half. That’s when the momentum first swung to Wake, due mainly to the unabated dunking. We missed Steve Goins in this one. Get well soon, Steve!
- C.J. Harris…who knew?
- We outrebounded them (43-41), got more assists (18-12), and committed one fewer turnover (15-16). How did we lose this game? Oh, right, they made more shots.
- In a chillingly recurrent theme, Maryland had a hard time finishing around the rim. Wake had no such problem…I counted about 11 dunks, none of which came from Chas “Harlan Williams” McFarland
- Dear Raycom Sports play-by-play announcer Steve Martin: Anthony Bowie played for Oklahoma in the 80s. Shane Mosely is a boxer. To my knowledge, neither was involved in tonight’s game. But good try, you was close.
(Photo credit: The Baltimore Sun)
