To say the least, this is a tough one for Virginia to swallow.To call Wednesday evening's matchup with Maryland a big game would be an understatement. This was a game circled on the calendars of both the Cavaliers and the Terrapins. This one meant the difference between conference cellar-dweller and contender. This wasn't a big game. This was the game.
It certainly didn't disappoint, as both teams played with passion and determination on both ends of the court. Yet in the end, Virginia threw it away, falling to Maryland 71-67.
Alas, with a chance to win the game, the Cavaliers didn't even get a shot off. Virginia had the ball with seconds remaining and a chance to tie or take the lead. But a broken play led to a steal by Terrapin guard D.J. Strawberry that sealed the Cavaliers' fate.
Though Strawberry came up with the big steal, it was sophomore guard John Gilchrist who stole the show.Playing in his home state, against former AAU teammates Elton Brown and Jason Clark, Gilchrist was the main event in leading his Terrapins to the win. While the line of 26 points, eight rebounds, and two steals looks nice on the box score, it doesn't tell all the Virginia Beach native did to send Virginia to defeat.
His swagger and confidence rattled several Cavaliers.Whether it was yelling "he's scared" at freshman guard T.J. Bannister, jawing away with J.R. Reynolds, or calmly nailing a three-pointer at the end of the first half, Gilchrist's performance extended well beyond the stat sheet.
Nonetheless, as impressive as Gilchrist was, Virginia was right there with him.The Cavaliers answered the swagger of Gilchrist in the second half, holding him to just five points in the period. Virginia's defense tightened up with Gary Forbes leading the charge. Forbes matched Gilchrist word for word and was able to penetrate and find Derrick Byars on consecutive possessions that gave Virginia the lead. Forbes was not the only freshman to step up to the plate in Virginia's biggest game of the season, as J.R. Reynolds notched 15 points, including three huge connections from long range.
In what has become yet another chapter in the story of the season, forward Devin Smith played through back pain, hitting key shots to get 12 points in 16 minutes.If that's not heart and grit, I don't know what is.
While the Cavaliers have often made it a habit of wilting when the opponent throws a big blow, this was not the case against Maryland. Virginia battled back from a double-digit first half deficit, took Maryland's best shot and responded by forcing the tempo and taking a second half lead. Virginia was on the floor battling for loose balls, and hustling on the defensive end. While it is often easy to bash forward Elton Brown after a Cavalier loss, it's hard to point the finger to him for last night's defeat. The junior showed up to play Wednesday night, arguably putting on one of the finer performances of his career.
But all the hustle, heart, and grit in the world can't make up for turning the ball over 20 times or allowing 24 offensive rebounds. In the game of grit and determination, Maryland proved to have the edge, epitomized by the game-sealing steal by Strawberry.
Regardless of how many facets of the game in which the Terrapins topped Virginia, the Cavaliers were still right there.With 23 seconds left, Virginia had a chance to overcome it all. The Cavaliers could have earned a hard-fought, momentum-building win with just one more field goal. With 23 seconds left, Virginia could've won the game.But in the end, they didn't even get a shot off.
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