North Carolina State University Athletics
HAYNES: NC State, Maryland Have Much on the Line
2/28/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
BY TONY HAYNES
Both clubs are fighting desperately to secure the highest spot possible in the final conference standings. Both teams still have postseason aspirations and best of all, both have turned the corner to play their best basketball over the last three weeks.
Better later than never? Perhaps.
The Terrapins have managed to capture three of their last five in the ACC, a stretch that included a giant-slaying victory over
NC State has also won three of its last five in the conference, but wasn’t able to bag an attention-grabbing, unexpected triumph in its two most recent road games against nationally ranked opponents. It would have taken near flawless efforts to win on the road at UNC and at
But coach Sidney Lowe’s squad does at least seem to be moving toward that complete 40-minute game he’s been waiting for all season. Prior to Thursday’s 85-78 loss at Wake, the Wolfpack had been producing high-percentage shots from its offense and holding its own on the boards, but was turning the ball over too much.
Against the Deacons, the turnover bug (eight) went away and the accurate shooting (48 percent for the game and 53 percent in the second half) continued, but the rebounding wasn’t up to par.
To come into this building and take these guys down to the wire the way we did says a lot about our ballclub,” Lowe would say afterwards. “Now it’s important for us to go back home and have a great home-stand. It’s going to take a great effort in this ballgame against Maryland, but I like where we are and like the way we’re playing.”
Ahead are back-to-back home games against
But the old coaching adage “one game at a time’ is certainly applicable in this case. While it certainly has improved over the last month, NC State is still not good enough to take a glance into the future and play the what if’ game.
Like NC State, the last three teams on the schedule also have plenty of play for and will be trying to build both momentum and their postseason rsums before the ACC Tournament kicks off in
Utilizing an unorthodox line-up of mid-sized players,
The guy who charges
Just use this last week as an illustration: In Maryland’s stunning 88-85 overtime win over North Carolina, Vasquez recorded his school’s first triple-double in 22 years with 35 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. Just three days later, Vasquez, saddled with foul trouble, had only 10 points in 22 minutes in a 78-67 loss to Duke.
“We have a darn good basketball team,” Gary Williams said. “We’re going to be tough the rest of the way, I guarantee you. We’re going to continue to work, continue to get better, like we’ve been doing for a while now. This is a good basketball team and I’m proud to be coaching this team.”
Both Lowe and Williams were feeling positive vibes this week, even after watching their clubs come up short during a pair of upset bids.
It could make for an intriguing battle on Sunday, even if the rest of the country isn’t paying attention.
