ACC Basketball: Maryland 92, UNC 71

By David Ginsburg

Associated Press

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Maryland coach Gary Williams was overcome by emotion, leaving him virtually unable to describe his feelings after watching the Terrapins dismantle North Carolina on an anything-but-typical game day.

"We handled a difficult situation and were able to do a good job," Williams told the crowd Sunday after Maryland beat the skidding Tar Heels 92-71.

A blizzard that dropped nearly two feet of snow in the area forced the Terrapins to alter their standard schedule and made fans scramble to get to the arena. Yet everything went smoothly against the defending NCAA champions.

"We get proud of the guys when they make the effort in a little different situation," Williams said, "and I think we did that today."

Greivis Vasquez had 26 points and 11 assists for Maryland (16-6, 6-2), which solidified its hold on second place in the Atlantic Coast Conference with its sixth win in seven games.

Eric Hayes scored 16 for the Terrapins, who never trailed after taking a 7-6 lead.

Marcus Ginyard led North Carolina (13-10, 2-6) with 17 points, Deon Thompson had 16, and Ed Davis had 10 points and 16 rebounds. It was the sixth loss in seven games for the Tar Heels, their worst streak since 2002. North Carolina is 10th in the ACC, a half-game out of last place.

"In 21 years as a head coach I've never been in this spot," Tar Heels coach Roy Williams said. "Somewhere, somehow, I've got to help the kids get out of it. But 2-6 is not comfortable. It's not good."

The game was a sellout, but the snow kept hundreds of season-ticket holders away. In an effort to fill the arena, the school allowed Maryland students without tickets to enter.

The students did their part, making more than enough noise to help the Terrapins improve to 11-1 at home this season.

"It was amazing," Gary Williams said. "So many people here at Maryland worked to get the parking lots cleared, did all that so people could come in. I talked to some people just briefly. They were coming. If they had to take a dogsled, they were coming to the game, and that's a great feeling. It really is."

Maryland has won four of its last five games against the Tar Heels, including last year's memorable 88-85 overtime thriller. This one was decidedly different.

Down by 13 early in the second half, North Carolina used a 14-4 run to close to 54-51. It was 58-54 before Dino Gregory scored on a follow, Hayes drilled a 3-pointer and Vasquez added a layup and a trey for a 14-point cushion with 10:51 left.

That took the fight out of the Tar Heels, who went quietly in their sixth double-digit loss of the season. It was North Carolina's most lopsided loss to Maryland since a 40-point blowout in 2003.

"To say that we are struggling would be the biggest understatement of my entire life," Roy Williams said. "But it makes no difference. Nobody is going to feel sorry for us, that's for sure, and they shouldn't. We're going to get people's best shots, and we'd best start playing better."

The most lamentable aspect of the Tar Heels' game was their defense. Maryland shot 52 percent for the game and made 19 of 32 shots in the second half.

"That was about as disappointing as it gets," Ginyard said.

Vasquez had 14 points and six assists in the first half, and the Terrapins made nine 3-pointers in taking a 44-34 lead.

Maryland went up 19-9 behind Vasquez and Hayes, who combined for five assists and 15 points on 5-for-5 shooting from beyond the arc. Minutes later, reserve forward Cliff Tucker hit a 3-pointer and a layup to spark a 10-2 spurt that made it 32-16.

Will Graves then scored from long range to begin a run of 10 straight North Carolina points. It was 34-30 before Maryland's Landon Milbourne sank a 3-pointer and Adrian Bowie added a layup for a nine-point advantage.

Milbourne finished with 15 points to become the 42nd player in school history to reach 1,000 in his career.