COLLEGE PARK - There was Maryland junior guard Greivis Vasquez, who heard boos earlier in the game from a smattering of fans on his team's home court, putting a finger to his lips and shouting at the student section to be quiet.
There was Maryland, which had made one of 14 three-point shots in its stunning loss Wednesday to Morgan State, missing its first 13 yesterday against Georgia Tech at Comcast Center. There were the Terps, trailing by 10 with 9 1/2 minutes left in their Atlantic Coast Conference opener.
But through it all, the Terrapins persevered. They managed to overcome frigid shooting, the frustration of their fans, and a Georgia Tech size and rebounding advantage to claim a 68-61 victory. They managed to turn a most inartistic game into something they could be proud of.
"It's not always going to be pretty or anything like that," Maryland coach Gary Williams said after his team had used defense - Georgia Tech committed 28 turnovers, nearly double its season average - to rally in the second half. "Hopefully we really get a lot out of this game."
Maryland erased the 10-point deficit with a 15-2 run sparked by defensive pressure. The run featured two passes by Vasquez that led to consecutive three-pointers by junior Eric Hayes, who scored 14 of his team-leading 17 points in the second half.
The Terrapins won despite shooting 25 percent in the first half and 31.5 percent for the game. They won on an off-night shooting by Vasquez, their leader, who made some pointed comments after the game about lack of support from select fans.
There were scattered boos after Vasquez, who finished with 16 points and six assists, missed his fourth three-point attempt in a row and again when he was briefly taken out of the game with 12:13 left. Maryland trailed at the time by eight points. The crowd was also yelling at some other Terps as well to play better.
A few moments later, with the crowd cheering and Maryland now ahead 53-52, Vasquez placed his index finger to his lips and implored the student section - in his own way - to shut up. He again shouted an expletive toward the section later in the half.
"I don't know if they were booing me or booing the other team. It doesn't bother me. My mind is strong," Vasquez said. "We're 12 and 3. We were 9 and 5 last year about this time. What the hell are they thinking? If they don't want to believe in us, get the hell out. We don't need them here. We need the people who are going to support us and be with us."
