Aloha, Chaminade! (That Means Hello)

I say that with utmost sarcasm... I am not saying "hello" as in "nice to see you, how ya been?" Although it is always nice to see a team that I know we can beat. Lucky Maryland getting the Chaminade Silverswords in the first round, rather than Gonzaga (who always gives us trouble--I still hate Adam Morrison) or Cincy (with Lance Stevenson, who bolted on Maryland). Let's hope I don't say that with sarcasm.

I overheard some commentators today talking about how if Maryland wants to win, Vasquez needs to step up. Um... so he's been good with the assists, but am I missing something else? Because so far, he's been flying really low under the radar. Too low to be acknowledged. Will tonight be the night he decides to step up? The first two and a half minutes tell me NO because he's gotten two turn-overs and two offensive fouls already. And Chaminade is winning. Hmmm...

Bling it! Eric Hayes gets a three-pointer to, ahem, tie Chaminade. That's embarrassing just to write, but if you aren't watching, the fact that we are shooting bricks left and right is even worse. The ball just will not fall into the basket for Maryland. Thankfully it's not falling for Chaminade as well, or we'd be screwed right about now.

In ten minutes of playtime, the game is still tied and it is still like watching a bunch of high-schoolers play. Vasquez is getting ready to come back into the game; he's been out since he had two quick fouls. Looking for a change in the game? Oh no, my friends. Maryland is still hanging tight with Chaminade. For heaven's sake, they have a player who is 5'6" and another named Dominique! I am still waiting for the Terps to take over the game and run with it; I didn't think it'd be this hard to play against a runt.

Milbourne got a sweet dunk, then Chaminade got trapped in the corner. Some good energy coming out of the timeout; did Vasquez actually listen to Gary in the huddle? Unfortunately, that little zip was it. No more baskets, except for the three by the stitch-lipped white guy on their team (not be confused with the white who looks like he's 40). Cliff Tucker got a fancy basket, then Chaminade pulls off a quick shot that fails, and the ball is back in the hands of Maryland. The Terps had their biggest lead (5 points) for a split second, and Mosley got a Juan Dixon shot off that worked. They tried it again a few seconds later, and the ball went soaring out of bounds. With a quick burst of confidence, Chaminade takes the ball straight to the basket, hoping for a Jordan-esque slam dunk, but ends up with an offensive foul instead.

Look out, the Terps have their biggest lead of the game... a whopping 7 points AND an and-1 (that Hayes makes). Vasquez has gotten a lot of airtime in the preseason, but Hayes and Mosley have been busting their butts every game and have come out big. Those two look to be the Terp stars of this game as well. Tucker is really showing his nerve tonight, too, bringing the lead even higher.

Jimmy Dykes is an idiot and I hate listening to him. I may need to watch the rest of the game muted.

Vasquez has shown up--only 19 minutes and 32 seconds into the game! He then takes it straight to the basket with a blind pass to Milbourne, who takes the lead to ten. The half ends 36-26.