Maryland Terrapins vs Clemson Tigers Basketball Recap

Maryland 79, Clemson 77

It was tense, it was nerve-wracking, and it remained in doubt until the final horn. However, a weekend matinee movie provided the right conclusion for a proud program that’s trying to dig its way out of despair and trouble.

Maryland eeked out a narrow 79-77 victory on Saturday afternoon over the Clemson Tigers at the Comcast Center in College Park, Maryland. Gary Williams’ Terrapins – coming off a shocking 17-point loss at home to Virginia Tech on Thursday – needed the victory to right their ship. The Terps are now 12-7 overall and 2-3 in the ACC, just barely clinging to life in a conference that’s going through a down year and needs some big step-up performances from its middle-division clubs if it’s going to get more than three or four teams into this year’s NCAA Tournament. With North Carolina scuffling and Georgia Tech reeling and Wake Forest drowning, a number of schools with gleaming basketball pedigrees are not carrying their share of the load this season. Maryland’s road back to respectability began with this game, and by the skin of their teeth, the Terps lived for at least a few more days in pursuit of an at-large bid that still looks like a very, very remote possibility.

The Clemson Tigers – under first year coach Brad Brownell – were coming off a 10 point road loss to North Carolina. They are now 13-6 overall and 2-3 in the ACC, and have virtually no claim to any NCAA aspirations at this point.

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The Terrapins led by as many as 13 in the first half before Clemson, with a strong finish, cut the lead to four (40-36) heading to the locker room. Maryland hit 6 of 11 3-point attempts in the first half, uncharacteristic for a team that typically relies heavily on inside play and a blue-collar approach to basketball. Clemson, despite trailing, outshot the Terrapins in the first half 45 percent to 43 percent.

Maryland returned to its interior game in the second half, however, putting on its hard hat and taking only three 3-point attempts in a display of wise shot selection. The Tigers kept the game close throughout the second half, but never did take the lead. The game finished on a bizarre sequence: Clemson – trailing by three and out of timeouts with under five seconds remaining – was forced to move the ball inside and settle for a two-point dunk by Devin Booker with 2.1 seconds on the clock. Maryland, leading by one, then went to the foul line after a Clemson foul, where UM’s Cliff Tucker hit his first free throw. His second shot was an intentional miss which inexplicably rolled out of bounds over the baseline, allowing Clemson the opportunity for an inbounds play without use of (or need for) a timeout. Clemson’s Demontez Stitt had a free shooting hand on an 85-foot shot which just missed off the glass as time expired, and the Terrapins escaped with the two point victory.

Jordan Williams had 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Terrapins - his 13th consecutive double-double, breaking Len Elmore’s decades-old school record. Tucker hit three of four 3-pointers on his way to 15 points, and Adrian Bowie and Terrell Stoglin has 13 points each for Maryland.

Stitt had 20 points to lead the Tigers, followed by Jerai Grant with 15 and Andre Young with 14 points.

These two squads, sitting at 2-3 in conference play have a lot of work to accomplish in the season, but for Gary Williams, the win at home will be appreciated: It kept his season alive, for all practical purposes.

By: Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer