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Sean Singletary scored 23 points in the loss at Maryland. |
In an effort to change its fortunes and deal with mismatches in the paint, Virginia tried a 2-3 zone to start the game Wednesday night at Maryland. The strategy backfired when the Terrapins lit up the Comcast Center with a 13-2 run to open the game and held off the Cavs the rest of the way en route to an 85-75 victory.
The loss was UVa’s sixth in the last seven games. The Hoos’ 1-5 start in ACC play is their worst since opening 1-7 in 2004-05.
“You’ve got to play for 40 [minutes] and we didn’t,” Virginia coach Dave Leitao said on the Virginia Sports Network. “We gave them not only the lead, but we gave them confidence and you just can’t [do that], not against good teams, not in this league, not in somebody’s building – you’re just not going to fight back from a deficit you put yourself in if you don’t do everything right.”
The zone strategy hoped to combat the inside players of the Terps, but the Maryland guards made sure to bust that theory with hot outside shooting. Eric Hayes hit two 3-pointers and Greivis Vasquez added a third in the first three minutes as the hosts ran out to a 13-2 lead before the first media timeout, though Leitao did try to slow the opening spurt with a quick timeout. Those treys were part of a 6 for 6 start by the Terrapins and showed that the Hoos could not stay in the ill-fitting zone for the entire game. Hayes had 15 points and 9 assists, while Vasquez finished with 25 points and 3 assists.
After the fast start and early 11-point lead, Maryland held the advantage around that margin for most of the contest. Virginia mounted a late surge to get within six points in the final two minutes as Sean Singletary began to knock down shots from all over the floor in the final 10 minutes. He finished with 23 points, his 41st straight game in double figures, but a 3-point look in the final two minutes to cut the lead to three points and one possession rimmed out on the Virginia star.
Singletary, who is playing with a bruised hip/hip pointer and not practicing very much, moved into eighth place all-time on Virginia’s career scoring list with the performance. His 1,774 career points surpass Harold Deane (1,763) and Curtis Staples (1,757) on the charts. Singletary, who also had three assists, has scored 20-plus points eight times this season and 35 times in his career.
““The way he played defense and didn’t turn the ball over [was great]. He continues to amaze me,” Leitao said. “I can’t come close to naming somebody that I’ve ever been around that has the kind of heart he does. This program or this league might not see the likes of someone that has the heart that Sean does [for a long time].”
The Cavaliers also got good outings from Mamadi Diane , Calvin Baker, and Mike Scott. Diane contributed 16 points and 5 rebounds; he also tied a career-high with four assists. Baker scored 17 points, his career high at Virginia. Scott chipped in with 6 points and 12 rebounds (ACC career high).
The difference for the Terps in the final moments as Singletary and the Cavaliers made a final push was their work on the glass and at the free throw line. Maryland made enough free throws to keep the visitors at arm’s length and nearly every time Virginia seemed to make a badly needed defensive stop, James Gist and Bambale Osby hauled down a rebound and converted the points to help put the game away.
Gist poured in 17 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 2 assists while Osby added 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 blocks.
“What Bambale does really well is give us energy. When he is on his game he is a very enthusiastic, energy-driven player and he does a great job of keeping the rest of the team in the game,” Maryland coach Gary Williams said. “Boom is also gaining confidence in his offense which has been a big help because it gives us another threat besides James Gist on the blocks.”
Statistics | Media Relations Notes
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