|
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) -- Gary Williams' 250th victory at
Maryland provided the coach with far more angst than expected.
With the Terrapins (No. 2 ESPN/USA Today, No. 3 AP) up by only nine points at
halftime against Monmouth on Tuesday night, Williams wondered
whether his team had the tenacity to finish off the Hawks.
"In the first half we were a little flat. ... I was very
worried at halftime. I was very concerned walking out for the
second half," he said.
His fear vanished shortly after he arrived at the bench. The
Terrapins started with a 13-0 run and pulled away to their eighth
straight victory, 91-55.
After allowing the Hawks (4-4) to go 16-for-33 from the field in
the first half, Maryland outscored Monmouth 45-18 over the final 20
minutes.
"Coach came in here and gave us a mouthful," said Juan Dixon,
who finished with 18 points. "I think in the second half we played
great."
Byron Mouton scored 17 points for the Terrapins (8-1), who
extended the nation's longest non-conference home winning streak to
82 games.
Williams, enjoying his third-best start in 13 seasons with the
Terrapins, said, "It was good to see that we picked it up at
halftime and played at our defensive level."
Russ Anderson scored 12 points for the Hawks, who faded against
the deeper, taller and more talented Terrapins.
"This was a game where we had the most players," Williams
said. "Most of the time, the most players wins. It's a good win to
have going into exams."
The Terrapins next play Dec. 21 at Oklahoma.
Monmouth will soon resume playing within the Northeast
Conference, and for that, coach Dave Calloway can be thankful.
"We play these games to learn. We're not going to see a team
like this in our conference," Calloway said. "I thought we did a
decent job in the first half, but we broke down in the second half.
Obviously, Maryland had something to do with it."
Mouton opened the second half with a 3-pointer before Dixon and
Tahj Holden each made two free throws. Lonny Baxter followed with
his first basket, then made two foul shots before Holden finished
the run with a hook shot that made it 59-37.
It was 63-39 before Chris Wilcox scored two baskets and reserve
guard Drew Nicholas hit a 3-pointer in an 11-0 run that made it
74-41.
Wilcox finished with 10 points and 13 rebounds.
Baxter missed all three of his field goal tries in the first
half, but his teammates went 16-for-23 and the Terrapins outscored
Monmouth 12-1 at the foul line to take the 46-37 lead.
Maryland led 18-17 before six players scored in a 14-5 run that
pushed the margin to 10 points. Mouton had two baskets and Steve
Blake capped the spree with a 3-pointer.
With the Terrapins up 38-28, Dixon hit a short jumper and set up
Wilcox for an alley-oop dunk to make it 42-28.
But the Hawks kept it close behind Anderson, who scored all his
points before halftime, hitting four 3-pointers. | 
