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Cal's done, dispatched by the Terps in their NCAA opener
By Morris Phillips March 20, 2009 |
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It’s one of the least known and poorly constructed axioms, but in the case of Maryland-California, it’s completely appropriate. You can’t reach the promise land if you can’t get over the hump. When Cal failed to shoot well early in their 84-71 NCAA loss to Maryland, they stayed close as their opponent, the up and down Terrapins, spun their wheels too, committing offensive fouls and allowing the Bears big offensive rebounds and second chance opportunities. When Cal continued to shoot poorly into the second half, their resolve unraveled, and the Terps surged, scoring on 13 of 16 possessions at one point. With each possession in the final ten minutes, the Bears, unable to reverse the tide, allowed Maryland clearer and easier paths to the hoop. “They were very passionate,” said Cal forward Jamal Boykin. “They had a desire to win and when they made the run, we just couldn't rebound from it." After shooting just 37.5 percent in the first half, Maryland still led 34-31 at halftime. And when Cal didn’t take advantage or respond, the Terps’ 61 percent shooting in the second half allowed them to blow past the Bears, grabbing a 74-59 lead with 4:59 left, on Dino Gregory’s resounding dunk. We were struggling,” said Maryland coach Gary Williams. “We managed to maintain a lead thanks to our defense. We played pretty good defense against a very good shooting team. We finally got moving a little better (in) the second half.” “We never seemed to get in any sort of rhythm,” said coach Mike Montgomery. “It's very difficult for us to compete against a good team without shooting the ball well." Even as the Bears gained their footing, taking a 51-50 lead on Theo Robertson’s jumper with 12 minutes remaining, it didn’t signal that they had established anything. The lead came during a stretch littered with missed shots and a pair of turnovers. And as soon as they grabbed the lead, the game slipped away. Maryland responded with a 9-0 run, including 3-pointers by Landon Milbourne and Eric Hayes. Not only did the Bears miss shots, the shots weren’t their typical fare. Only Jerome Randle (6 for 11) appeared to be in his element, but he totaled just 14 points despite going the entire 40 minutes. Patrick Christopher missed all seven of his three point attempts. Boykin looked to score early, but managed to make just one of his first six attempts. The Bears’ normal plan of using the threat of three to set up other aspects of their offense devolved into tough 3-point attempts way too often. The final numbers, 7 of 24 from three left the Bears looking like any old jump shooting squad, not the best in the nation from distance, as they have been since November. Maryland was led by Greivis Vasquez’s 27 points, and the Terrapin leader was as brash and versatile as advertised. When Cal turned to defensive stopper Jorge Gutierrez just 95 seconds into the game, Vasquez went right at him, using his size and shooting ability to score on Gutierrez twice early. When Vasquez got two fouls early, Williams sat him for nearly five minutes, but the Bears didn’t seize the moment, continuing to trail during the entire stretch. The Bears finished their first season under Montgomery 22-11 and return four of their five starters and key reserves Harper Kamp and Gutierrez for next year. And from this point forward, don’t expect to see another Montgomery-coach Cal team that hangs it hat on shooting the ball. Look for the Bears to get bigger, and better defensively in 2009-2010. |
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