Vasquez loss too much

After being called for a backcourt violation in the first half, Greivis Vasquez thought about pleading his case, but instead went over to a referee and gave him a hug.

By the end of last night's loss against Boston College, it's safe to say Vasquez had considerably less affection for the game's officials.

In a span of 16 seconds, Vasquez picked up his third, fourth and fifth fouls - the final one a technical, when he smacked the padding on Boston College's basket in frustration of the previous foul call.

"That was the key situation of the game, when he got his fifth foul, without committing his fifth foul," coach Gary Williams said.

"I've never seen a player get that many fouls in that short of time, so it was kind of stunning that he fouled out that quickly," said guard Eric Hayes, who at the time thought the technical was only Vasquez's fourth foul.

Vasquez fouled out with 10:30 remaining in the second half, and could only be a spectator in the final quarter of the game, as he watched the Terps give up a lead which he helped build.

The sophomore guard was just beginning to find his groove, too. He hit his first three-pointer earlier in the half, and followed it with a driving lay-up on next possession. Vasquez was running the point with fluidity and looked much more comfortable than he did in the sloppy first half.

And then his night ended about as rapidly as it could.

"I don't remember the last time I was watching game from the bench," Vasquez said. "It's hard, it's tough. Especially me, because I wanted to be out there and give the team everything I got, 'cause I was playing well in the second half. I was hitting some shots and passing the ball well."

Not only was Vasquez's absence from the court a big blow, but the two free throws Tyrese Rice made as a result of the technical foul and the two Shamari Spears made from the shooting foul ended up being the difference in the game.

Williams inserted guard Cliff Tucker for Vasquez, and although Tucker was solid in his time on the court, the Terps were missing their leader, and a huge emotional presence on the court.

"Even when I get 20 turnovers, they need me out there, and I feel like I need them too," Vasquez said. "I didn't do a good job by doing that and getting out of the game."

Realizing they would be upset by the circumstances, Williams talked to his team and told the players they could still win without Vasquez. He knew that losing a player who puts more than 16 points on the board each night would be tough to combat though.

"He's been our leading scorer," Williams said. "It's a weapon that you need. This year, he's been one of our scorers, so you miss that when he's not there."

With their leading scorer on the bench, defense became the biggest problem for the Terps. In the first half they played with great intensity on the defensive end, surrendering a mere 25 points to the Eagles.

In the 10 and a half minutes that Vasquez was out, the Terps gave up 42 points.

"Maybe if I wouldn't have stayed out of the game, we would have beat them, because I was feeling it and I was ready to just lead the team and win," Vasquez said. "But that's how it is. I got to learn from it."

In the team's locker room after the game, Vasquez said he apologized to his teammates, to the coaches and to the fans, and did not blame the referees for his situation, saying "they're just doing their job."

Vasquez said that he just slapped the basket's support and did not say anything to a ref.

Apparently that was enough to issue a technical.

And it may have been enough to cost the Terps a victory.

"We had them," Vasquez said. "We had them."

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