Diamondback Online - The University of Maryland's Independent Daily Student Newspaper

Issue date: 11/21/07 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Yuchen Nie

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - If there's anything to be taken from the CBE Classic, it's that there needs to be patience with the Terrapin men's basketball team.

The players need to be patient, the fans need to be patient and even coach Gary Williams needs to be patient.

Instead of throwing a tantrum or cursing out his team after the Terps' second loss in as many nights, Williams was relaxed, as he preached patience and focused on some of the Terps' positives from the game.

"I feel a lot better about my team right now than I did at about 5:30 this afternoon," Williams said after the Terps' 84-70 loss to Missouri last night. "I think we can be a good basketball team if we're willing to continue to work hard. It takes time. I don't think anybody every accused me of being real patient, but I've had to be patient and hopefully we can go from here."

Much like Williams, the Terps weren't down on themselves after the game. Sophomore guard Greivis Vasquez even said the expectations for this team were too high to begin with.

"We'll be OK," Vasquez said. "It's nothing to be down. I'm happy to be here right now. I don't care what you all [the media] are gonna say or what people are gonna say."

"It's just really hard to play for Maryland. There's a lot of people outside that talk a lot and sometimes it bothers me a little bit because, you know, we're trying to win," Vasquez later added, choosing not to go into specifics about whom he was describing.

Last night was a virtual road game for the Terps at the Sprint Center, despite playing in what was considered a neutral arena, as a pro-Missouri crowd watched the Tigers outwork the Terps.

Much like Monday night's game against UCLA, the Terps (3-2) dug themselves into another early hole. Missouri (4-1) led by nine 14:23 into the game and built the lead to 14 during one point in the first half.

The Tigers led 43-37 at halftime and maintained their lead throughout the second half. Whenever the Terps made a push, Missouri answered.

The Terps' only lead of the game was 4-2.

"We're like inches away from really being good," senior center Bambale Osby said.

Of course, a loss like last night still exposes a team's problems. For the Terps, it's turnovers (23, compared to Missouri's 10) and perimeter shooting.

One night after going 1-for-11 from three-point range, the Terps shot 1-of-15 last night. Had it not been for a Landon Milbourne three with 22 seconds left, it would have been the first time since Jan. 7, 1999 that the Terps failed to make a 3-pointer.

Continued...

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