No. 5 Virginia at Maryland, Noon CBS
The Cavaliers and Terrapins square off for the final time Sunday as ACC rivals. There are no future meetings on the schedule so this game is for major bragging rights. Virginia has won the past six games against Maryland but this could be one that people remember.
Despite pride, Virginia isn't playing for a whole lot. The ACC regular-season championship is wrapped up as is the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament. If UVa keeps winning and captures the ACC tourney title, the Cavaliers could be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, but that is an outside chance at this point and there is no guarantee that happens even if they win the conference tourney.
UVa won the first contest against the Terps in Charlottesville on Feb. 10, 61-53. Joe Harris had 19 points for the Wahoos, his best ACC outing of the year. Malcolm Brogdon added 14 points, Akil Mitchell had 13, and Justin Anderson, Mike Tobey, and London Perrantes all chipped in four points each. Maryland was led by Seth Allen's 15 and Dez Wells' 12. Nick Faust had nine points and Evan Smotrycz finished with eight.
Maryland led 26-25 at the half. Virginia built up a 52-41 lead with about four minutes left but the Terps clawed back to within 54-50 with two minutes left. Smotrycz missed a 3-pointer which would have cut UVa's led to one with one minute left. Some nice free throw shooting down the stretch sealed the victory for Virginia.
Maryland definitely played the Wahoos about as well as anyone in the ACC this season, outside of Duke, Virginia Tech, and Clemson. Those games were all on the road, though, so Maryland definitely gave UVa the biggest ACC home scare. That fact, coupled with the fire the Terps will probably bring to the game, should get UVa ready to go for this one.
I am glad that Virginia actually had a long break after the Syracuse game. Normally, I would like for the Cavaliers to stay in a pattern, keep playing, and ride their momentum. But that was such an emotional win and a big victory. I'm sure the guys put a lot of mental and physical work into winning that game. The long break hopefully gave them a chance to celebrate, catch their breath, and then refocus on Maryland and pick apart what they did poorly against Syracuse and what they did poorly against Maryland in the first game.
Sunday should be a fun an intense game. Both teams will want to go out in the rivalry as winners. At the same time, UVa isn't playing for a spot in the NCAA tournament or a for a better place in the ACC standings. The 'Hoos can instead focus on just trying to beat their hated rival one last time and send the Terp fans packing to the Big Ten with a memorable loss.
The Cavaliers and Terrapins square off for the final time Sunday as ACC rivals. There are no future meetings on the schedule so this game is for major bragging rights. Virginia has won the past six games against Maryland but this could be one that people remember.
Despite pride, Virginia isn't playing for a whole lot. The ACC regular-season championship is wrapped up as is the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament. If UVa keeps winning and captures the ACC tourney title, the Cavaliers could be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, but that is an outside chance at this point and there is no guarantee that happens even if they win the conference tourney.
UVa won the first contest against the Terps in Charlottesville on Feb. 10, 61-53. Joe Harris had 19 points for the Wahoos, his best ACC outing of the year. Malcolm Brogdon added 14 points, Akil Mitchell had 13, and Justin Anderson, Mike Tobey, and London Perrantes all chipped in four points each. Maryland was led by Seth Allen's 15 and Dez Wells' 12. Nick Faust had nine points and Evan Smotrycz finished with eight.
Maryland led 26-25 at the half. Virginia built up a 52-41 lead with about four minutes left but the Terps clawed back to within 54-50 with two minutes left. Smotrycz missed a 3-pointer which would have cut UVa's led to one with one minute left. Some nice free throw shooting down the stretch sealed the victory for Virginia.Maryland definitely played the Wahoos about as well as anyone in the ACC this season, outside of Duke, Virginia Tech, and Clemson. Those games were all on the road, though, so Maryland definitely gave UVa the biggest ACC home scare. That fact, coupled with the fire the Terps will probably bring to the game, should get UVa ready to go for this one.
I am glad that Virginia actually had a long break after the Syracuse game. Normally, I would like for the Cavaliers to stay in a pattern, keep playing, and ride their momentum. But that was such an emotional win and a big victory. I'm sure the guys put a lot of mental and physical work into winning that game. The long break hopefully gave them a chance to celebrate, catch their breath, and then refocus on Maryland and pick apart what they did poorly against Syracuse and what they did poorly against Maryland in the first game.
Sunday should be a fun an intense game. Both teams will want to go out in the rivalry as winners. At the same time, UVa isn't playing for a spot in the NCAA tournament or a for a better place in the ACC standings. The 'Hoos can instead focus on just trying to beat their hated rival one last time and send the Terp fans packing to the Big Ten with a memorable loss.
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