Terps' tourney hopes on bubble

CORAL GABLES, Fla. - At this point last week, the thought of the Terrapin men's basketball team being on the outside of the NCAA Tournament field looking in could have produced some chuckles.

Now, though, nothing's funny about the notion.

After the Terps' third loss in four games - this one a 78-63 offensive train wreck to Miami at the BankUnited Center - the Terps are right back on the bubble. It's a nerve-racking place to be this late in the season, and it's especially frustrating for the Terps, given how much it took to turn the season around during the past two months.

"Every game from here on is a must-win, I'd say," senior Bambale Osby said after the game in an eerily quiet locker room.

The Terps shot a dismal 37.1 percent from the field and their 63 points scored were the fewest since the Dec. 22 loss to American.

"We've been a pretty consistent shooting team all year, and I thought we got some looks in the second half that we didn't convert," coach Gary Williams said. "We shot 29 percent [in the second half], and we haven't been doing that. That really hurt us."

For the fourth straight game, the Terps had more turnovers (15) than assists (12).

"You have to play really well. You have to make shots," Williams said. "Miami's good; they've proven how good they are this week. We didn't play well enough down the stretch."

Sure enough, the Terps fizzled when it mattered most, similar to last Wednesday's loss to Virginia Tech.

After trimming an eight-point deficit down to 61-58 with 5:26 remaining, the Terps failed to get defensive stops, and Miami ended the game on a 17-5 run. It was similar to the way the rest of the game played out - the Terps (17-11, 7-6 ACC) trailed throughout, and every time they tied it or cut it down to one possession, they couldn't stop the Hurricanes (19-7, 6-6).

The Terps made just nine second-half shots.

"We didn't play hard," said sophomore Greivis Vasquez. "That was the difference [down the stretch]."

Landon Milbourne, Vasquez and James Gist combined to shoot 13-for-44 (29.5 percent). Gist played just 21 minutes because of foul trouble, and the Terps got just four points from reserves Jerome Burney and Shane Walker in his absence.

Burney, however, did give the Terps some productive minutes off the bench, something they've been missing.

"I was really pleased with his effort today," Williams said of Burney. "He picked it up a couple weeks ago and started to play better, and I'll play him. I always tell the team you earn your playing time in practice."

The Terps had previously separated themselves from the middle of the ACC pack, but with two straight losses, they're right back in it. They are still in a position where they can finish well, but there's no guaranteed wins in their final three games.

The only thing for sure at this point is the way the Terps feel about the next two weeks: There's absolutely no more room for error.

"We gotta win these next three games," Gist said. "It's gonna take a lot of work, but we gotta work hard. This is what you signed up for. This is what it's like this time of year."

Unlike the Terps, Miami is playing its best basketball of the season. It has won four impressive games in a row, and that includes a victory over then-No. 4 Duke.

Miami improved to 5-1 against the Terps since it joined the ACC, but this Hurricanes squad isn't like the previous ones the Terps have lost to. In fact, with a strong record, high Ratings Percentage Index and high strength of schedule, Miami appears to be a surefire NCAA Tournament team.

Then again, a week ago the Terps did, too.

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