By Paul Montana Cavalier Daily Senior Associate Editor COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- When the Virginia men's basketball team cut a double-digit, second-half deficit to 5 with less than two minutes remaining, it appeared that the Cavaliers would avenge their blown leads of late by robbing Maryland in College Park. Virginia was unable to get stops down the stretch, however, and the Terrapins finished off the Cavaliers 85-75, for Virginia's sixth loss in seven games.
A drive and a two-handed dunk by junior guard Mamadi Diane cut the lead to 5 just past the two-minute mark. After senior forward James Gist hit one of two free throws on the other end, senior guard Sean Singletary had a chance to cut the lead to 3 with an open three, but the shot rimmed out with 45 seconds on the clock, and the Cavaliers' fate was all but sealed.
"We just waited too long to turn it around," Singletary said.
Virginia (11-8, 1-5 ACC) elected to play a 2-3 zone for much of the game in an effort to neutralize the talented Maryland frontcourt of senior forward Bambale Osby and Gist, but the Terrapins were unfazed, shooting 51.9 percent from the field for the game. Osby and Gist finished with a combined 28 points and 15 rebounds, and five Terrapins finished in double digits, led by sophomore guard Greivis Vasquez, who finished with 25 points on eight for 19 shooting.
"We have not been so far this year good at protecting the paint," Virginia coach Dave Leitao said. "I thought [playing zone] was a better way to protect the paint."
After going into halftime with a 43-33 score in favor of Maryland (13-8, 3-3 ACC), the two teams battled to an essential standstill in the second half, when the Terrapin lead hovered between 10 and 17 points for the first 13 minutes. Virginia finally brought the lead into single digits at the 6:25 mark of the second half on a Singletary floater in the lane, and sophomore guard Calvin Baker followed with a long two to cut the lead to 7.
In the closing minutes, however, the Cavaliers were unable to keep the Terrapins off the glass -- Maryland scored 8 points off five offensive rebounds in the last five minutes.
"I take a lot of pride in rebounding and defense," Leitao said. "Those are the things that are, more than anything, failing us right now."
The Cavaliers were also hurt by fouls in the second half. The Terrapins reached the bonus at the 10-minute mark, and they hit 23 of 28 from the charity stripe to keep Virginia at bay.
Though the Cavaliers were afflicted by some defensive lapses in the second half, it was the hole they found themselves in early that was the difference in the game. At the outset, Maryland picked apart the Virginia zone as the Terrapins hit seven of their first eight field goals, including their first three 3-pointers, to open up a quick double-digit lead. Maryland sophomore guard Eric Hayes found himself open early and often and made Virginia pay with 13 points on five-for-six shooting in the opening period.
The Terrapins would cool off, scoring just 5 points in a 6.5 minute span in late in the first half. The Cavaliers were unable to take advantage, however; they put up just 8 points in a dry spell of their own in the same span.
"The first 35 minutes of the game, we played back on our heels with some errors that we made from a preparation standpoint that really cost us," Leitao said. "When you give a team -- especially at home -- confidence, it's a very difficult situation to get yourself out of."
The Cavaliers will look to pick up their first ACC road win of the season against Virginia Tech Saturday.
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