Virginia to Host Third-Ranked Maryland Thursday Night

Story Links

Jan. 30, 2002

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. –

Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader

The Game
Virginia, ranked eighth in the AP poll and fifth in the USAToday/ESPN poll, stands at 14-3 overall and 4-3 in the Atlantic Coast Conference this season. The Cavaliers are coming off a 94-81 loss to top-ranked Duke (Jan. 27) at Cameron Indoor Stadium that snapped their five-game winning streak. Maryland, ranked third in both the AP and USAToday/ESPN polls, stands at 16-3 overall and 6-1 in the ACC. The Terrapins are coming off an 84-63 win over Florida State (Jan. 26) in College Park, Md.

The Series vs. Maryland
Maryland leads the series with Virginia 93-62 in a rivalry that dates back to the 1912-13 season. After winning five consecutive meetings between 1992-1994, the Cavaliers have lost 11 of the last 16 contests, but earned a 99-78 victory (Jan. 31) in the first meeting last season in Charlottesville. Maryland gained a split in the season series with a 102-67 victory (Mar. 3) in College Park. UVa snapped a five-game losing streak to the Terrapins with an 89-87 overtime victory (Mar. 4) in the second meeting of the 1999-00 season in Charlottesville (the first of two consecutive wins over the Terps).

UVa has won seven of the last 10 games between the two teams at University Hall and 11 of the last 16. Virginia is 39-35 all-time on its home court against Maryland, including a 22-14 record at University Hall.

The Cavaliers’ last four wins over the Terrapins (1995, 1997, 2000 and 2001) have occurred at University Hall in Charlottesville.

This is the 55th consecutive season the Cavaliers and Terrapins have met (every season since 1947-48), Virginia’s second-oldest opponent in terms of consecutive seasons met. They have played 117 games in that span. (Virginia’s oldest opponent in terms of consecutive seasons played is Virginia Tech-68 straight seasons).

A Nailbiter Could be in the Offing
The recent series with Maryland has featured quite a few close games. Since 1987, 19 of 31 games have been decided by nine points or less, with Virginia winning 10 games. In the last 15 years there have also been three overtime games, with Virginia winning two of the three games.

A breakdown of the close games in the series since the 1986-87 season is below:

2 points - 5        4 points - 1        5 points - 2        6 points - 37 points - 5        8 points - 2        9 points - 1

Virginia Vs. #3
The Cavaliers are 6-24 all-time when playing a third-ranked (AP poll) team. UVa is 2-8 at home vs. a third-ranked AP team. Tonight’s game marks just the second time Virginia has played Maryland when the Terrapins were ranked third in the nation. In that first meeting, UVa dropped a 70-51 decision to Maryland in Charlottesville on February 19, 1975.

UVa Vs. a Top 10 Maryland Team
Tonight’s game is Virginia’s 20th meeting against an AP top-10 Maryland team. The Cavaliers are 4-15 in those games and 2-8 in Charlottesville.

UVa and Maryland have met only once prior to tonight’s game when the two teams have been ranked in the top 10 concurrently (AP poll). That meeting occurred on January 14, 1981 in College Park with the Cavaliers winning 66-64 on a last second jumper by Jeff Lamp.

The last time the Cavaliers defeated a top-10 Maryland team was in the first meeting last season in Charlottesville. UVa posted a 99-78 victory exactly one year ago today (Jan. 31).

Mason Needs Two Points for 1,000
Junior guard Roger Mason, Jr., needs just two points to become the 36th Cavalier to reach the 1,000-point milestone. Mason has scored 998 career points and needs 16 points to move past Mac Caldwell (1963-65) into 35th place on UVa’s all-time scoring list.

Senior guard Adam Hall was UVa’s 35th player to score 1,000 career points when he notched his 1,000th point earlier this season against Rutgers on December 23.

Brown Named ACC Rookie of the Week For Second Time
Freshman forward Elton Brown was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Week (Jan. 28) after scoring 47 points and grabbing 18 rebounds in Virginia’s wins against Georgia Tech (Jan. 22) and VMI (Jan. 24) and its loss to Duke (Jan. 27). For the week, Brown was 21-37 (56.8 percent) from the field, including 3-8 (37.5 percent) from three-point range, and 2-4 from the free throw line in 73 minutes of action. Against Georgia Tech, Brown came off the bench to compile his first double-double with career highs of 20 points and 10 rebounds. He was 9-11 (81.8 percent) from the field and 2-4 (50 percent) from the free throw line against the Yellow Jackets. Brown got his second start of the season in place of an injured Travis Watson in UVa’s win over VMI. He scored 15 points and grabbed four rebounds. Brown was 7-14 (50 percent) from the field, including 1-2 from three-point range. Against Duke, Brown tallied 12 points and four rebounds.

Brown was also named the ACC Rookie of the Week December 24 after scoring 19 points and grabbing seven rebounds in Cavalier victories over Charleston Southern (Dec. 17), Georgetown (Dec. 20) and Rutgers (Dec. 23). Brown was eight for 20 (40 percent) from the field, including two for two from three-point range, in 43 minutes of action. In UVa’s 61-55 victory over 16th-ranked Georgetown, Brown had 10 points and three rebounds.