Maryland 89, UNC 87

This team's inability to run a decent game-ending play frightens me. Hell, their inability to run a half-court offense under three minutes has been abysmal. With the exception of a great screen for Wayne Ellington's three to cut the lead to two, it was painful dribbling along the perimeter leading to forced shots from Lawson and Wright plus stupid turnovers and poor rebounding. If their opponent isn't gassed by the end of the game the Heels just can't put them away.

Maryland stuck around with outstanding rebounding and the inside-the-perimeter shots that worked so well against UNC for Virginia Tech. The Terps were only 3-13 from behind the arc but they're one of two teams that shoot less threes than UNC. Mike Jones' (Who?) eight-for-seventeen shooting hides the fact he (MIKE JONES!!!) was 70% on his tries for two, and Strawberry couldn't miss from anywhere on the court. The Terps read the book the Hokies wrote on beating this team, and followed it to the letter.

But damn, those last forty-five seconds were bad basketball, weren't they?