Struggling Terps Hang On To Defeat Yellow Jackets

Maryland 57, Ga. Tech 56

ATLANTA, Feb. 8 -- A cluster of reporters surrounded senior forward Dave Neal after Maryland claimed its first true road victory of the season Sunday night. For the most part, Neal and the rest of the Terrapins' front court managed to contain Georgia Tech's bigger, taller post players. It was one of the keys to a win that Maryland desperately needed, for psychological relief if nothing else.

Also receiving attention was junior guard Greivis Vasquez, who tallied a team-high 19 points. For most of the second half, it was Vasquez's assertiveness that kept the Yellow Jackets at bay. And then there was sophomore guard Adrian Bowie, seated on a stool over there in the back corner of the visiting locker room. He woke up Sunday morning with a 102-degree temperature and played only one minute.

Standing in the middle of all the commotion was the Maryland player perhaps most responsible for the Terrapins' 57-56 victory over Georgia Tech, their eighth straight over the Yellow Jackets. He had time to pull on a shirt, gather up all his dirty clothes and pack his bag. He took his time. There was no need to rush, really. The men holding notebooks and recorders, as usual, were busy tending to other matters.

And then, as he was scanning the space in front of his locker stall for any stray belongings, junior guard Eric Hayes was asked about the night he reaffirmed his status as a key component to Maryland's attack. Finally, it was Hayes's turn.

"There are not too many guys who can start, and it was just my night tonight when Adrian wasn't feeling well," Hayes said. "You know, I think we have six or seven starters on this team, so I just showed that when somebody's down we have a lot of guys who can pick each other up."

In order for the Terrapins (15-8, 4-5 ACC) to stand much chance of success Sunday night, Hayes had little other choice. The soft-spoken reserve was thrust back into the starting lineup after it was decided Bowie could not operate at full strength. Hayes had started the first 20 games of the season before being resigned to the bench on Jan. 31.

The rap on Hayes is that he is infrequently aggressive and at times makes questionable decisions when given ballhandling duties. His long-range shooting stroke at times can be tantalizing, but not often enough to make up for his reserved demeanor.

Freshman guard Sean Mosley had stepped in for Hayes and performed well in a starting role. Last night, Mosley missed all six of his shots and tallied zero points, but as Maryland Coach Gary Williams said, "It doesn't matter. Guys like that win games for you. I can't tell you why they do, but they do."

Mosley has been a physical defensive presence and a capable rebounder on a team lacking in interior size. He has been everything Hayes typically is not.

But Hayes, given another opportunity to showcase his talents, proved he could provide components necessary to a Maryland win as well. He finished with 15 points and five rebounds. Though he also recorded six of the Terrapins' 16 turnovers, his overall leadership on the court earned praise from Williams.

"Eric's great, but Eric's been around," Williams said. "I expected that completely. Eric, I think, sometimes doesn't get the credit because a lot of times his personality isn't jumping around or anything. Tonight, Eric was the guy. He really played well."

Hayes's opportunity arose because Bowie was out with what Williams described as flu-like symptoms. Coming off the elevator before the team's breakfast Sunday morning, Bowie appeared very sick, according to Williams.

After receiving attention from paramedics and team doctors, Bowie felt well enough to eat and attend the team's shoot-around, but after attempting a couple of free throws, he sat down. "That was it," Williams said. "I kind of knew then that if he could play it wouldn't be much."

Bowie played one minute of a first half in which neither Maryland nor Georgia Tech (10-12, 1-8) played to its strengths. The Yellow Jackets were hesitant to go inside, and the Terrapins were ineffective in their transition attack.

The game remained close throughout the second half because both teams committed a flurry of turnovers and neither shot the ball well. Though Maryland shot 35.8 percent from the field on the night, its defense forced 24 Georgia Tech turnovers, which eventually proved to be too many for the Yellow Jackets to overcome.

In the final minute, Maryland had a chance to seal the win but Mosley and Hayes each missed free throws. Georgia Tech got off two shots in the final three seconds, but both fell errant.

"I'm just happy for our players; they didn't quit," Neal said. "It's going to be nice to have a plane ride back where we can actually talk and have a good time."