Maryland Beats Duke on Senior Night; Ties for ACC Lead

Fear the Turtle. We hear that statement a lot from the University of Maryland nation. But for the first time in a few years, it is true. Led by ACC Player of the Year candidate Greivis Vasquez, the Maryland Terrapins beat Duke for their final home game of the season. Seniors Vasquez, Eric Hayes, and Landon Milbourne went out in style on Senior Night at Maryland by beating the much hated Duke team 79-72. Sean Mosley, Jordan Williams, and Adrian Bowie played their roles and supported the seniors in the huge win. Yes, Maryland fans. Other teams can now Fear the Turtle.

Vasquez has greatly improved his game this season. He is now a finalist for the ACC Player of the Year and has had clutch performances on multiple occasions. Terps fans will not forget his 2 clutch shots near the end of the game Wednesday night vs. Duke. I am still not sure how he managed to get both of them to go, but I am glad he did. He outplayed Jon Scheyer, another ACC Player candidate, who barely showed up until the second half. Scheyer was 7 for 21 on the night and 3 for 10 from 3 point range. He managed to finish with 19 points, but was quiet during a big portion of the game. I would have to say after this game and looking the statistics from the year that Vasquez has an advantage over Jon Scheyer to compete with Malcolm Delaney of Virginia Tech for ACC Player of the Year.

Beating Duke helps to finish off a great regular season for the Terrapins. Their last game of the season is February 10 at Virginia. After a few disappointing years, Maryland has the potential to go far in the ACC and NCAA tournaments. My Dad predicted that Maryland would be have a good year and be a dangerous force, but I do not think many of us believed him. Well he was right. Maryland has had a quality year. I am excited to see what type of damage the Terps can do in the NCAA and how well Vasquez can perform on the big stage. It is time for other teams to once again Fear the Turtle.