CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — After an emotional upset win against No. 4 Duke on Wednesday, struggling Virginia was the final hurdle that stood between the Terrapin men's basketball team and at least a share of the ACC regular season title.
The No. 22 Terps withstood a second-half charge to hold off the Cavaliers, 74-68, on Saturday afternoon at John Paul Jones Arena. The Terps' 13th conference win sewed up their first regular season crown since 2002 — but not before another dramatic finish.
Virginia, playing without suspended guard and leading scorer Sylven Landesberg, cut the Terps' lead to one in the final minutes. The Cavaliers (14-15, 5-11 ACC) had a possession with a chance to take the lead before a technical foul on coach Tony Bennett allowed the Terps to close out the win from the free throw line.
The Terps looked lethargic at times in the second half but got just enough offense from guard Greivis Vasquez, who finished with a game-high 23 points, to escape with their first win in four tries at John Paul Jones Arena. All eight Terp players who saw action scored at least five points. Gaurd Eric Hayes had 11 points and five assists in his final regular season game.
The Terps (23-7, 13-3) are the only ACC team this season that has not lost a game in which it was leading at halftime, but the short-handed Cavaliers put up a fight on their Senior Day. Virginia shot 65 percent in the second half and made nine of their final 11 shots to make sure the Terps, who never trailed, felt the heat down the stretch.
Vasquez scored 13 points in the game's final 6:06, including three three-pointers. But his charge with 1:24 remaining gave the Cavaliers the ball, trailing 66-65. Guard Mustapha Farrakhan traveled on the other end to give the ball back.
On the ensuing possession, officials whistled Jerome Meyinsse for a block on Sean Mosley. Bennett walked onto the court to protest the questionable call and spiked his jacket, earning a technical foul. Mosley and Vasquez knocked down four free throws to lift the lead back to five and Virginia's Jeff Jones missed a three-pointer, sealing the Cavaliers' ninth consecutive loss. The Terps went 8-for-8 from the foul line in the final 38 seconds.
After the game, coach Gary Williams and his players admitted they were emotionally drained during their second-half offensive swoon, in which they nearly blew a lead that had been as large as 13 points.
But behind Vasquez and timely free throw shooting, the Terps, who won't play again until Friday at the ACC Tournament, pulled out their sixth straight single-digit win.
"It wasn't about how it looked," Williams said. "It was just getting a win."
For more coverage, go to Terrapintrail.com and for a full game recap check Diamondbackonline.com on Monday.
edetweiler@umdbk.com
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