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Terps overpower Kentucky

MARYLAND 78, UK 68: The Terrapins turn to their inside game to pull away.

©Associated Press
March 23, 2002

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Maryland and Kentucky were both preseason Top 5 teams.

With their rich tradition and rare talent, one could have predicted they would meet in the Final Four.

As it turns out, only the Terrapins have a shot to make it, and that seems a shame after the two teams squared off in an East Region semifinal Friday night. Backed by four double-figure scorers, Maryland escaped with a 78-68 victory. The Terps turned to a powerful inside game in the second half to pull away.

Bidding for a repeat berth in the national semifinals, top-seeded Maryland (29-4) faces Connecticut on Sunday.

If Kentucky's first two tournament games were any indication, the Wildcats needed major production out of Tayshaun Prince and Keith Bogans to have a chance against the Terrapins.

They got it. Prince had 17 points and Bogans added 15, and the Wildcats benefited from 22 points from low-scoring forwards Marquis Estill (12) and Jules Camara. Even that was not enough. Not against a team this good.

"I had plenty of opportunities and didn't get it down," Prince said. "They did a pretty good job of playing defense."

Kentucky absorbed Maryland's best shot in a hard-fought first half and tied the score as late as the midway point of the second half. Two Estill free throws made it 53-53 with 10:09 remaining.

The Terrapins simply had more left in the tank. Maryland went up 66-59 on a Lonny Baxter basket with 6:39 to go, and Baxter's free throws provided the same margin (70-63) with 3:31 left.

With both offenses turning cold, Kentucky got no closer than five the rest of the way.

Maryland was led by Juan Dixon (19 points), Baxter (16), Chris Wilcox (15) and Byron Mouton (14).

Wilcox had ended the first half emphatically with a dunk that gave his team a 39-33 lead. The first 20 minutes featured four ties and five lead changes.

Dixon, an All-American and the Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year, had only four points over the final 14 minutes. But Maryland's inside game was the difference.

"Today I didn't have to score 29. I only needed to score 19 and make some defensive plays," Dixon said.

The Terrapins defeated UConn 77-65 on Dec. 3. Maryland is looking to get to the Final Four for the second time in school history. Connecticut, which beat Southern Illinois 71-59 Friday, has also been to the Final Four just once, when the Huskies won it all in 1999 at Tropicana Field.

The Huskies are "one of those teams that always gets better," Maryland coach Gary Williams said. "It's two different teams now, but we're a better team also."

Maryland's 16th victory in 17 games ended the up-and-down season of Kentucky (22-10).

Drew Nicholas' 3-pointer with 9:54 left gave Maryland the lead for good at 56-53 but the Wildcats wouldn't let the Terrapins pull away.

Estill made two free throws with 5:05 to play to get Kentucky within 66-63, but Wilcox and Baxter each made two for Maryland to make it 70-63.

The Wildcats' Chuck Hayes scored with 1:53 left to make it a five-point game, but Dixon had four free throws and Mouton added two more to give Maryland its late cushion.

Maryland is in the region finals for the fourth time, the others coming in 1973, '75, and last year, when it lost to eventual champion Duke in the national semifinals.

Kentucky fought through a season of distractions that included players transferring and being suspended, injuries and the high expectations of one of the nation's most high-profile programs. The Wildcats had been to a region final every year from 1995-99 -- winning the championship in 1996 and '98 -- but have not been back since.

"We didn't take advantage of opportunities," Kentucky coach Tubby Smith said. "We turned it over two or three times on fastbreaks and then you see our guys start to doubt themselves.

"I was impressed with (Maryland's) composure down the stretch and making their free throws. It's a sign of a poised, mature, veteran team."

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