First Post

I can't remember where I heard this, but it was a journalism-related event. The journalist said he keeps both a journal and a calendar of events, so after procrastinating weeks, I finally found time to set both items up.

The Duke v. Maryland game Wednesday night was a monumental moment in Maryland basketball history. A lot of people are hesitant to anoint a game "the best ever," but the magnitude and atmosphere of this game makes it deserving.

Maryland was unranked coming into this season, and Duke was supposed to be number 1 in the ACC with the return of Singler and Scheyer. North Carolina was ranked due to reputation, as well as Clemson, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Florida State and Wake Forest at other points in the season. It wasn't until consecutive victories over GT, Clemson and VT that Maryland got ranked -- at 23.

When Maryland and Duke took the floor Wednesday night, Comcast Center was shaking. Every basket counted. Every fan was screaming. Every eye was glued to the court. And on the Maryland student night, our heralded senior, Greivis Vasquez, was the star.

To me, the game went as follows: The first 10 minutes was dominated by the Terps. Truth be told, it may have been pure intensity and volume of the crowd that led the charge more than the play on the court. However, the second part of the first half was Duke fighting back, and making it too close for Terps' fans at the half.

In the second half, it was a back-and-forth see-saw. Like the past three Terps games, it looked like it was destined for drama. Previously, Maryland beat GT on a buzzer-beater, VT in overtime and a second-half comeback against Clemson. On this night, the tie broke when Duke's shooters, Scheyer, Singler and point guard Nolan Smith, finally went cold. Freshman Jordan Williams started dominating the boards, and Vasquez made shots that put the crowd in awe.

It was as if that night, Maryland's victory was a part of destiny. All the right shots fell, rebounds grabbed and the student-fan body at Comcast was united as one. High fives were shared, hugs, kisses, tackles and an overwhelming crowd storming all occurred. Even a College Park riot hit Route 1. But that night was all about Maryland basketball -- making a statement: we want respect and we want it now.