Maryland Terrapins Host #20 Pittsburgh Panthers in a Crucial Match-Up
By Cory Forsyth
Ellen Ozier-USA TODAY Sports
Teams: Maryland Terrapins (11-8, 3-3 ACC) vs. Pittsburgh Panthers (17-2, 5-1 ACC)
Arena: Comcast Center | College Park, MD
Tip-Off: Saturday, January 25 | 6PM
Tune-In: ESPN2, WatchESPN, Terrapin Sports Radio Network
It was only a few weeks ago.
The Terps were 10-5 and the Pitt was 13-1. A lot has changed since the Panthers beat Maryland on their home court on January 6.
Pittsburgh is now sitting at 17-2, 5-1 in the ACC. Their only loss since facing the Terps came to the #2 Syracuse Orange.
On the flip side, Maryland has only managed to win one game since the last meeting.
It’s not yet past the point of no return for the Terps, but their NCAA tournament aspirations are becoming dimmer each and every game they lose.
Maryland needs to build their resume and needs to win at home from here on out. A win against #20 Pitt will help this team to build their confidence and give the Terps a quality win against what will be a NCAA tournament team.
Who will step up and lead this Maryland team on both ends of the floor? That seems to be a question about which everyone wishes they had an answer.
Maryland will need Dez Wells, Seth Allen and Jake Layman to have big games if the Terps want to knock off the Panthers on Saturday.
Pittsburgh is seventh in the nation in assists per game and has the 19th-best field-goal percentage in what can be a very high-scoring offense.
The only edge Maryland has over Pitt is their rebounding. If the Terps can get inside and out-rebound this team, they might be able to keep it close. The last thing Maryland can allow is second-chance opportunities for Pitt.
It’s a great opportunity to beat a good team. Will the Terps take advantage and seize the moment to win at home?
Let us know how you feel about Maryland’s season so far.