Stage is set for another ‘classic’

Steve Addy

Monday, March 26, 2001 | 9:56 a.m.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- As Maryland prepared for its West Regional semifinal last week, a TV reporter asked coach Gary Williams if he still guaranteed his team would get to the Final Four.

"I never said that!" Williams fired back. "Where did you hear that? I've been a coach for 23 years, and I would never say that. How dumb do you think I am?"

Williams couldn't have known at the time, but he could've played along like a psychic friend, because for the first time in school history, Maryland is indeed headed to the Final Four.

And when they get to Minneapolis, the Terrapins will see a familiar opponent awaiting them: No. 1-ranked Duke.

Maryland's hard-earned 87-73 victory over Stanford on Saturday at the Arrowhead Pond set up a national semifinal that could not have been scripted any better -- a fourth game between the Terps and Duke, college basketball's most intriguing rivalry of the season.

Duke, which defeated USC 79-69 for the East Regional title, holds a 2-1 edge over Maryland this season, but that doesn't begin to describe how hard-fought the series was.

You can bet that one game in particular, Jan. 27 at Maryland, will be much discussed this week. That was the night the Terps blew a 10-point lead in the final minute and wound up losing 98-96 in overtime on their home floor. Duke's Jason Williams made two 3-pointers to key the rally.

"Unfortunately, ESPN is already showing it as an 'Instant Classic,' " Maryland coach Williams said.

It was the first of five losses in six games for the Terps, whch left them 6-6 in the ACC on Feb. 14. In the last loss of that stretch, against Florida State, the Terps were booed off their own court, leading Williams to sarcastically tell the Maryland fans, "Thanks for your support."

But he also held his players accountable, saying, "I'm not making any more speeches. I'm not saying anything. I'm putting it all on you. Whatever you want to do, this is your season."

The Terps responded admirably, rescuing their season with four straight ACC victories, including 91-80 at Duke on Feb. 27.

"Funny, but it's only a 'Classic' if Duke wins," Williams said with a shrug. "But I knew if we could play that well against them, we could do it against anybody."

The teams met for the third time in the second round of the ACC tournament March 10 at Atlanta, with Duke escaping 84-82. Nate James' tip-in with 1.3 seconds left gave Duke the lead, but Terps guard Juan Dixon clanged a 40-footer off the rim at the buzzer.

Yes, the rivalry has been that close, and with the way Maryland (25-10) is playing now, there's no reason to think Saturday's semifinal at the Metrodome will be any less contentious.

"We know what Duke does and what they are all about," forward Terence Morris said. "We've beaten them and they've beaten us. But we feel we can beat them again, with the way we're playing."

"I thought Duke was a great team all year," Williams said. "They survived a terrific loss of (center Carlos) Boozer and stayed on course. They never lost their concentration. I really felt that Duke was a Final Four team once the season was over. I was just glad we weren't put in their region."

"Since we know Duke's game and they know ours, it's going to come down to who wants it more," Terps center Lonny Baxter said. "But we're on a roll. We're really playing well."

Baxter is at the head of that list. He was named most outstanding player of the regional after compiling 26 points and 14 rebounds against Georgetown and 24 points and six rebounds vs. Stanford.