HOKIES CRACK TERPS' LEAD

This was not the time for a clunker.

But that's exactly what happened last night in a game that the Terrapin men's basketball team probably didn't have any business losing. Virginia Tech entered the game losers of three straight, but came into Comcast Center, overcame two double-digit deficits and left with a 69-65 win.

For the Terps, the loss will almost certainly have negative ramifications in their NCAA Tournament quest. But until the regular season ends, it won't be known just how costly this loss ends up being. Either way, the Terps left the arena last night with a sour taste.

"I think we might have took 'em for granted," sophomore forward Landon Milbourne said. "I'd say we came in kind of laid-back instead of coming in here fired ulike we were supposed to."

It was the second time this season that the Terps (17-10, 7-5 ACC) played poorly against the Hokies. In fact, it was arguably their worst game since that loss to Virginia Tech (15-11, 6-6), which came Jan. 12.

Virginia Tech's Dorenzo Hudson vomited during a Terp free-throw attempt, which delayed the game for about 10 minutes, but that wasn't even the ugliest part of the first half. That award went to the Terps during a stretch where they failed to score on 11-straight possessions.

The Terps went 7:08 without scoring, and scored just three points in the final 9:17 of the first half. Their 28-14 lead was down to 31-29 at halftime.

Along with the big first-half lead, the Terps were also ahead by 11 with 13:53 to play in the game. But that lead also quickly evaporated, and with 3:32 left, Virginia Tech took its first lead, 53-51. After a Greivis Vasquez 3-pointer put the Terps back on top, the Hokies went on a 7-0 run and then made 8-of-12 free throws down the stretch.

"You want to be tough enough to put teams away," coach Gary Williams said. "But tonight we couldn't do it. We've been doing a good job in the second halves in conference play, but we couldn't get it done."

Cliff Tucker, the team's top reserve, missed his second straight game due to the flu. Williams said he had recovered from the illness but did not practice enough during the week. It proved costly, as the Terps didn't get a single point from their bench.

"Our bench gotta step up," Vasquez said. "They gotta step up. I give you guys [the media] reason to talk about me if I turn the ball over a lot, but if you don't have anybody to help you, how can you score? That should tell you something. I'm not saying we're not capable, but everybody has to be a man and step up, and say, 'You know what, I'm gonna do my part, too, so we can win.' This is a team. This is not me, not James, not Boom. This is a team, and if we want to make it, we gotta make it as a team."

Vasquez called it the toughest loss since he's been with the team, but by no means was he ready to write the Terps off.

"It's not like I want to kill myself. I'm ready to fight again, man," Vasquez said. "I'm from Venezuela; I'm not from a rich country and a rich neighborhood. I'm ready to fight tomorrow and get ready. My confidence is good; I don't care what anybody else is going to say, and I just gotta translate that to my team. We should be OK."

If the Terps end up being OK, they didn't do themselves any favors last night. They remain tied with Clemson for third place in the ACC, but Virginia Tech is now just one game behind with the luxury of having the tiebreaker.

Along with that, Miami (5-6 ACC) and Wake Forest (6-5) are both still in the middle of the pack, and each team is still awaiting a home game against the Terps.

"We have to want it," Vasquez said. "We're not running away. We never run away. We're going to come in tomorrow ready to practice, but it's tough losing at home like that."

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