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UNC-ASHVILLE Recap By Bob W.
UNC-Ashville Game Recap Overall: It’s hard to get up for a Maryland v.
UNC Ashville game when your good buddy Andrew scores you free Eagles-Skins
tickets (Can’t say thanks enough), but none the less I sat down to watch this
marquee match-up as I planned out all my 4 layers of clothes for the ensuing
tailgate. Though this game isn’t a conference game you could still say that it
is a HUGE game for the Terps. Let’s face it, the ACC is going to be brutal and
we most likely won’t have as many wins as we should in a regular year. Who
among us last year (pre ACC Tourney) were saying to themselves “Boy if we just
had one more win, I would feel a lot better”. Well this is the time of year
where we can not let these easy W’s slip through our fingers. And that is what
the Terps did. With the 9 point lose to local rivals GW still etched into their
brain, the Terps came out and did a solid job on UNC Ashville. First Half: Maryland came out strong in the first
half and were up 10-0 before UNC Ashville even knew what hit them. The half
sort of ebbed and flowed with UNCA finally showing some life and at one point
even cutting the lead down to 5. Maryland had a chance to take a big lead into
half time but failed to convert and then allowed UNCA to make a 3 at the buzzer
to cut it to 11. Can anyone tell me the last time Maryland actually scored on
the last play of the half, or game? They always seem to do something stupid.
Second Half: The second half, or shall we call it
the John Gilchrist half was dominated by #11. He scored 20 of his 22 in the
second half and shot excellent from the line and the field. Maryland let UNCA
get a little closer but there was never really any doubt at the final outcome.
Maryland was able to put away UNCA with solid Free Throw Shooting (wonder if I
will ever type that again). In fact they were 13 of 13 if you can believe
that! In the end the game turned out to be just what Gary Williams and the boys
needed. Now on to the first ACC game of the year. Hopefully they can get some
practice time in between finals. Report Card: Travis Garrison: A- The Good: I though TG had a solid game. 15 points, shot 70% and was 1-1 from the line. Didn’t get too many rebounds, but did block 3 shots. The Bad: Did co-lead the team
in TO’s though. Hence the minus. Nik Caner Medley: C The Good: NCM didn’t really stand out in this game, but then again we really didn’t need anyone to stand out. He did have 8 points. The Bad: 4-8 from the field and
0-3 from 3 land. If he could just start connecting on the 3’s. Ekene Ibekwe: B The Good: Shot 3-3 from the foul line, grabbed 7 boards, had 12 points, why he even drilled a 3. Also had 3 steals The Bad: Went 4-8 from the
field which isn’t too bad, but I do need to find something for him to improve
on. John Gilchrest: A The Good: This is about a good a game as you can expect from your PG. 8-9 from the floor, 5-5 from the line 7 assists to 1 turnover and 3 steals and no fouls. An Excellent all around effort for the clean shaven Gilchrist. The Bad: Well he did miss a
shot. Chris McCray: A- The Good: Had 15 points and was 2 for 2 from the foul line. The Bad: Shot 1-4 from behind
the arc. DJ Strawberry: A The Good: Strawberry played exceptional on Sunday. A really solid performance. 13 points in 17 minutes with 5-5 from the floor and 3-3 from the line. Can’t ask for much more than that. The Bad: 2 Turnovers, but who’s
counting. Sterling Ledbetter: INC The Bad: No Playing time. Get
well soon Sterling. James Gist: B- The Good: I think we are really going to like this kid. Decent game on Sunday. 2-2 from the line and 5 boards in 14 minutes. Didn’t have many points but didn’t play all that much. The Bad: 1-4 from the floor.
Also only played 14 minutes, though this wasn’t exactly a game we needed
everyone to be a superstar. Mike Jones: F The Good: I really like Mike Jones and want him to do really well, but he didn’t on Sunday. He did hit a 3 though. The Bad: Of course when you shot 7 of
them you should make a 3. 1-7 from behind the arc, and 1-9 from the floor. 3
points in 17 minutes. Will Bowers: F The Good: Got lots of playing time and experience. The Bad: 1-4 with 2 points.
And get this 0 rebounds in 14 minutes! 14 minutes? If you stay on the court
that long the ball will bounce your way eventually! Hassan Fofana: INC Whoops, sorry habit I guess. |