***Join us in the Turtle Power live chat at 9:00 for tonight’s contest between Maryland and Virginia Tech.***
COLLEGE PARK, Md. — As Baltimore continues to lick its wounds from the Ravens’ disappointing exit from the postseason last weekend, the Terps take center stage after suffering their own Saturday collapse against Villanova in Philadelphia, surrendering a 12-point, second-half lead on their way to a 74-66 loss.
Needing a win to boost their spirits after a disappointing 1-2 road trip, the Terps (11-6, 1-2 ACC) return to College Park to host the Virginia Tech Hokies (11-5, 2-2) tonight at 9:00 in a nationally-televised game on ESPN2. Maryland’s six losses have come by a combined 35 points, but after coming up empty in the non-conference schedule in terms of impressive wins — and no, a meeting with Longwood on February 9 won’t help — the Terps need to begin stacking wins in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
The Hokies enter tonight’s game at 2-2 in the ACC with a 29-point win over lowly Wake Forest last Saturday. Virginia Tech is led by senior guard (and Baltimore native) Malcolm Delaney, who averages just under 19 points a game and had some not-so-flattering remarks about the Maryland students earlier in the week.
Despite Saturday’s collapse in Philadelphia, sophomore Jordan Williams earned his 11th straight double-double, scoring 25 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. The big man trails only Len Elmore (calling tonight’s action along with Mike Patrick on ESPN2), who has the school record of 12 consecutive set in the 1973-74 season.
Join us in the Turtle Power live chat beginning at 9:00 as Glenn Clark and I offer thoughts and analysis from Comcast Center. And if you’re not doing so already, follow us on Twitter (@WNST) for the quickest updates from College Park.
