GREENSBORO, N,C. – A mere 12 seconds into his ACC Tournament opener against NC State last night, guard Adrian Bowie got a sense of just how easy things would be for the Terrapin men's basketball team inside Greensboro Coliseum.
After seeing forward Jordan Williams run a hook inside the paint and call for the ball, Bowie hit the streaking Williams, who went on to finish the ensuing layup while being fouled by NC State's Scott Wood. The sophomore finished the three-point play with a swish from the free-throw line, giving the Terps an advantage right out of the gate.
The game's early action — and much of it afterward — was almost child's play for Williams and the Terps, who never relinquished their initial lead and cruised to a 75-67 victory over the Wolfpack.
The win, aside from a final NC State flurry, was painless, easy and smooth. And even after the Wolfpack's 14-7 run to end the game, the Terps were never truly threatened down the stretch.
Five days after a demoralizing 14-point Senior Day loss to Virginia, last night's pushover was just what players needed to move past a three-game losing streak that capped their regular season and then on to a potential four-game roll that could revitalize their year.
"I thought we learned we could win," coach Gary Williams said. "Winning is a fragile thing, and if you lose a couple games, it starts to seep in."
And while the win was a boon to the Terps' confidence, players realized they won't have such an easy out tonight when they face Duke, their first real challenge of the conference tournament.
The Blue Devils aren't going to be a lifeless bunch of souls wandering across the hardwood, as the Wolfpack often looked last night. Duke is too talented and has too much on the line — most notably, a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament — to roll over.
NC State didn't have much to play for, having entered last night's contest as losers in four of its past five games. The Terps should have beaten NC State. It's not a shocking development.
Now, they have less than 24 hours to prepare for a team that has already beaten them twice this season. Unlike what we saw last night against the Wolfpack, a win against Duke would actually be something to get excited about.
"The positive thing is that we won, and believe me, that's important, especially this time of year to get that win," Gary Williams said. "But now we're playing Duke, and we've played them twice, so we have a pretty good idea of what they do."
He conceded last night that his team still needs to improve if it hopes to compete against one of the top teams in Division I basketball. The Terps, after all, didn't play their best 40 minutes of the season last night. They just played well enough to beat a listless NC State team.
The Terps threw away passes and missed a few easy layups. They committed 17 turnovers and struggled against the Wolfpack's press late in the game. They gave up some easy transition baskets. And yet, after everything, they still won by eight.
"Our defense wasn't as good as it could be," Williams said. "This time of year, you're not going to win without playing good defense because the teams you play from here on out are very good defensive teams, starting with tomorrow night. You have to match that."
Williams is right: The Terps need to fix those mistakes — and fast — to stand a chance tonight against the Blue Devils.
Last night's win was easy. Now comes the real test.
jengelke@umdbk.com
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