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March 10, 2005
Box Score | Quotes | Photo Gallery
By DAVID GINSBURG
AP Sports Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - Maryland's reign as Atlantic Coast Conference champion is over, courtesy of yet another whipping by unheralded Clemson.
Shawan Robinson made six 3-pointers and scored 24 points, leading the Tigers to an 84-72 victory Thursday in the opening round of the ACC tournament.
Clemson, which hadn't won a game in the tournament since 2001, next faces second-ranked North Carolina on Friday. It marked the first time in school history that Clemson (16-14) beat Maryland (16-12) three times in the same season.
Maryland won the ACC tournament last year with an improbable run, beating the third, second and top-seeded teams. This time, however, the Terrapins couldn't eradicate the inconsistency that plagued them throughout the regular season.
Chris McCray led the Terrapins with 24 points and Nik Caner-Medley had 14 on 5-for-17 shooting. John Gilchrist, a star in the ACC tournament last year, missed six of seven shots and scored just four points. He played only two minutes in the second half because of a sore ankle.
Clemson led 55-50 before reserve Olu Babalola made a three-point play and a 3-pointer to expand the margin to 11, and the Terrapins never got closer than nine points.
Robinson was marvelous from long range, going 6-for-8 beyond the arc. His proficiency from the outside made up for a quiet performance by center Sharrod Ford.
Ford had 24 points, 10 rebounds and nine blocks in the last game between the teams, a 97-93 Clemson victory at Maryland on Feb. 22. This time, Ford finished with six points and eight rebounds after a scoreless first half in which he grabbed only two rebounds.
Maryland played without reserve freshman forward James Gist, who sprained a knee in practice earlier in the week. He suited up, but did not participate in warmups and watched the entire game from the end of the bench.
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Robinson went 4-for-5 from beyond the arc and scored 14 points to stake the slow-starting Tigers to a 39-36 halftime lead.
Clemson committed turnovers on each of its first six possessions and failed to get off a shot over the opening 2{ minutes. Led by McCray, who made three 3-pointers and scored 12 points before four minutes had elapsed, Maryland led 8-0 and 16-6.
At that point, the partisan crowd cheered wildly for the host team. But the joy wouldn't last.
After the Tigers used an 11-0 run to take the lead, the Terrapins answered with a 9-0 spurt. It was 31-24 before Robinson scored eight straight points to put Clemson back in front.
