The Terps now face one of the most nerve-racking weeks in the program's history. It's already gnawing at Gist, who saw his Senior Night ruined, and who also saw, close-up, one of the pivotal plays of the game: James Mays' steal of a pass intended for Gist in the backcourt, leading to the tying basket with 45 seconds left.
"I don't know much about how to keep anyone's spirit up," acknowledged Gist, the inspirational speaker before Thursday's win at Wake Forest. "Especially mine right now."
The other key senior, Bambale Osby, was tied up with foul trouble, forced to watch a group of mainly freshmen bail him and the team out. The freshmen were the ones spearheading the 17-2 first-half run that yanked momentum their way, the ones helping push the second-half lead to 20, and the ones temporarily righting the ship for some three minutes late in the game to give Maryland a 68-55 lead with 4:48 left, a minute before Osby came back in.
Correct, math majors: They were outscored 18-2 from then on. On their home floor. With their season on the line. Everything - the momentum, the bench play, the surge from the youngsters, the senior leadership - went up in flames that fast. The final minutes were defined by what Maryland, suddenly and catastrophically, could not do.
When the Terps needed to make one stop to put the game away, they couldn't do it. One pass to maintain possession, they couldn't do it. One free throw to put the pressure on the scrapping, clawing Tigers, they couldn't do it. One good play to get one good shot in the final moments, they couldn't do it.
Finally, a hand in the face of freshman Terrence Oglesby when he caught the ball and fired a three-pointer with 2.3 seconds left, they couldn't do it.
"We'll see what we're made of this week," Williams said afterward.
Maybe. But everybody saw too much of what they're made of last night. Even Vasquez and Gist, who, at the end, couldn't bear to look anymore.
david.steele@baltsun.com
Listen to David Steele on Tuesdays at 9 a.m. on WNST (1570 AM).
