Wow, that was one fun afternoon for the Washington Capitals and their fans.

In vintage 2008 form, Alexander Ovechkin took over Saturday’s matinee with the New Jersey Devils exploding for three goals and an assist in a 5-1 Caps victory. The Gr8 has been playing extremely hard over the last 13 games but until today’s tilt, he wasn’t getting the results on the scoresheet to correspond to that effort. That all changed in this one, perhaps having fiancee Maria Kirilenko in attendance for the first time all season brought him good luck?

Whatever the case, when Ovechkin is on, in my book he is still the most exciting and explosive player in the NHL. He may not be the MVP, like he was in 2008 and 2009, but when he is skating, shooting, and hitting he can still lift you right out of your seat. Or as the NHL Network’s Craig Button once said several years ago after attending a Caps game for free, “Where do I pay for the performance I just watched?!”

Certainly the fans in attendance got their money’s worth and more today, thanks to Ovechkin along with many of his teammates. It was easily the best game this struggling club has played all year and they finally knocked off a team in the top eight spots of the conference (now 1-8-1, h/t @SkyKerstein).

The Caps stayed out of the box yielding only three Devils power plays and a penalty shot. Two of those infractions were of the delay of game variety, something that Coach Adam Oates has to address going forward. But Washington scored shorthanded on Eric Fehr’s tally in the third period and the Caps power play clicked two of the three times it was on the ice. Anytime you go +3 in the special teams department, chances are pretty good you will win via a lopsided margin.

It was pretty much a complete performance and Braden Holtby had another superb game in the cage, including thwarting a Steve Bernier penalty shot in the middle frame. #70 is now 4-2 and has a .9255 save percentage in his last six games. As I said a week ago Friday on the air on WNST 1570 AM Baltimore in my session with Thyrl Nelson, host of the MobTown Sports Beat, I am a big believer in Holtby and his abilities.

Other standout performances on Saturday came from Matt Hendricks, whose pass to Ovechkin on his second goal was a thing of beauty and started the third period onslaught; Karl Alzner, who was superb at both ends of the rink; and Mike Ribeiro and Nicklas Backstrom for the outstanding passes and center ice play.

Still, this one was all about Ovechkin and his explosive performance. The Gr8 took over this contest like he did so many times from 2008 to 2010 when Washington was dominating the Eastern Conference. The Caps, who don’t have nearly the talent on their roster now as they did during that period, will need a lot more of these type of outputs to turn this 6-10-1 season into a “2008-like” magical run.

But that is a topic for another day. So for the rest of Saturday, Sunday, and Monday just enjoy the victory and rewatch the highlights of the Gr8 show, because games and individual performances like the one Ovechkin displayed today are what makes watching sports a special experience.

Notes: Mike Green missed his 3rd straight game due to a groin injury. Tom Poti took his place in the lineup…Washington won the faceoff battle 36-25, the 6th straight game the Caps have done that. Coach Adam Oates was arguably the best faceoff man ever so his influence appears to be rubbing off on the center ice men…the Caps next play on Tuesday at home against the Carolina Hurricanes before visiting the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday night.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Maryland hits the road for the first time in ACC play and just the second time this season when it takes on Miami Sunday at 8 p.m. The Terps will be looking for their first road win over the Hurricanes since they joined the ACC; Miami has won all six of its home games over the Terrapins since joining the league in 2004. Maryland and Miami split a pair of games last season, with each team holding home court.

Storyline

• On Wednesday against Florida State, the Terps had the second-longest winning streak in school history snapped at 13 games as the Seminoles survived a furious last-minute comeback to win, 65-62. It was Maryland’s first loss in exactly two months – the only other setback came in the season-opener vs. Kentucky on Nov. 9.

• Depth, rebounding, and hot shooting helped carry the Terrapins to their 13-game winning streak. Against FSU, though, Maryland shot under 40 percent (.367) for just the third time in 15 games, and held just a plus-3 advantage on the boards. Still, despite also committing 18 turnovers, the Terps had a chance to win or tie after scoring 11 points in the final minute, butSeth Allen had a go-ahead 3-pointer blocked with 0:02 left.

• Allen has led Maryland in scoring in the two ACC games by averaging 17.0 points, and the freshman has reached double figures in four straight games after doing it just once in the first 11 games. He’s one of seven underclassmen who are providing the bulk of the scoring in Maryland’s 10-man rotation. Of the 76.7 points per game Maryland is averaging, 62.2 (81%) are coming from freshmen or sophomores.

• Alex Len has led the Terps in scoring throughout the season, with his 13.6 points per game ranking 13th in the ACC, and his 8.2 rebounds per game ranking fifth. The sophomore recorded his fourth double-double of the year with 15 points and 10 rebounds against Florida State.

Maryland-Miami Series

• Maryland trails the all-time series, which dates back to 1949, 8-12. The Hurricanes also hold a 9-4 advantage and have won seven straight at home.

• Last year the teams split the series, with each winning at home. In the game at Miami, the Hurricanes prevailed 90-86 in two overtimes. In College Park, Maryland won 75-70.

Quick Hitters
• The 13-game winning streak Maryland went on this season is tied for the second longest in school history, trailing just the 14-game streak the Terps went on in 1931-32. Maryland also went on a 13-game win streak in 2001-02, the year they went on to win the national title.

• It was also the 11th time in school history Maryland has put together a 10-game winning streak. In the past 30 years, Maryland has gone on a 10-game winning streak on six occasions, and in each of the previous instances it has gone on to play in the NCAA Tournament.

• Logan Aronhalt is averaging one 3-point field goal made for every 6.6 minutes on the floor. By comparison, the ACC leader in 3PT FGs made, Scott Wood of NC State, makes one every 12.4 minutes on the floor.

• Charles Mitchell earned ACC Rookie of the Week honors on Dec. 31 for his play against Delaware State on Dec. 29. Mitchell came off the bench to score 19 points and grab 14 rebounds, both career highs. Mitchell is the second Terp to earn weekly ACC honors; Alex Len was Player of the Week on Nov. 12.

• Seven of the 10 players in Maryland’s regular rotation are underclassmen and 81 percent of Maryland’s scoring (62.2 of 76.7 points per game) is coming from underclassmen. In the win over Virginia Tech, 81 of Maryland’s 94 points came from freshmen or sophomores.

• When Seth Allen, Jake Layman and Shaquille Cleare drew starts against UMES, it marked the first time Maryland started three true freshmen since Dec. 28, 1993, when Keith Booth, Matt Kovarik and Joe Smith did vs. Hofstra.

• Maryland has assisted on 65.3 percent (217 of 415) field goals this season. The Terps have recorded at least 13 assists in every game (season-low 13 vs. Florida State).

• The Terps have made more free throws than the opponent has attempted this season (232 to 216).

• At least eight players have scored in 14 of Maryland’s 15 games this year. The exception is vs. George Mason, when just seven players scored.

Hot Shooting

• Maryland entered this week ranked second in the ACC and ninth nationally in field goal percentage at 50.4 percent. That percentage dipped to 49.5 on the year after the Terps shot 36.7 percent against Florida State. Despite the poor shooting night against the `Noles, Maryland has shot above 40 percent in 12 of 15 games this year and above 50 percent in nine games.

• The last time a Maryland team shot better than 48 percent on the season was 2001-02, when the Terps connected at a .482 mark. Since the 1990-91 season, just four teams have done it: (also 1994-95, .498; 1998-99, .495; and 2001-01, .484).

Rare Performance

• When freshmen Seth Allen and Jake Layman both reached the 20-point plateau against Virginia Tech, it marked a rare performance. Prior to Allen and Layman’s performances, a freshman had scored 20 or more points in a game just 10 times since 1994-95 – with none of those occurring in the same game. In fact, the last time two different freshmen scored 20 or more points in a game in the same season was 1992-93 when Exree Hipp and Johnny Rhodes did it.

Field-goal Percentage Defense

• Maryland entered this week ranked fourth nationally in field goal percentage defense at .352. The Terps have held nine of the last 11 opponents under 40 percent shooting, with Stony Brook and IUPUI being the exceptions.

• Since 2000, five Terrapin teams have held the opponent under 40 percent shooting. Of those five, four went on to at least the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Super Subs

• Maryland’s bench has been an asset all season, as the Terps’ non-starters have outscored the opponents non-starters in 13 of 15 games (exceptions are Kentucky & George Mason).

• On the year, Maryland’s bench has a 434-181 (28.9 to 12.1 per game) advantage over the opponent. The biggest advantage Maryland has had this season was against UMES on Dec. 5 (55-7).

• With his 8.5 points per game, Seth Allen has been the biggest contributor. He has reached double figures in each of the past four games while coming off the bench.

• Logan Aronhalt has also been a consistent contributor as a long-range specialist. He is three 3-point field goals made shy of qualifying for the ACC lead, but his .529 mark from beyond the arc would lead the league. He has made at least one 3-pointer in 13 of 15 games this season.

Force on the Boards

• Though the rebounding advantage over the last two opponents was just plus-3, Maryland leads the ACC and is tied for third nationally in rebounding margin at plus-12.1 per game. Just Colorado State (plus-13.9) and Missouri (plus-13.0) rank above that. Maryland is the only ACC school with a double-figure advantage in rebounding margin; North Carolina is second at plus-5.5.

• The Terps have built advantages on the boards in all 15 games this season.

• Alex Len and Charles Mitchell are the biggest factors in that; Len averages 8.2 rpg and Mitchell averages 6.7. Len ranks fifth in the conference and Mitchell ranks 11th, including first among freshmen.

• Len ranks third in the conference with 3.1 offensive rebounds per game, and the Terps are averaging 13.6 offensive rebounds per game as a team, second in the league behind North Carolina (15.5).

• Mitchell made an impressive debut by grabbing 10 rebounds in his first career game, against No. 3 Kentucky. That’s the most rebounds by a Maryland freshman in his debut since Buck Williams had 13 against Bucknell in 1978. Williams went on to lead the ACC in rebounding that year (10.8 pg) en route to capturing ACC Rookie of the Year honors.

I honestly still can’t believe some of the things I read/heard/saw last week about Baltimore Ravens OT Bryant McKinnie.

If you missed it, McKinnie was not on the fall last week in Owings Mills during mandatory minicamp at the Under Armour Performance Center. When asked why McKinnie was not practicing, head coach John Harbaugh said “Bryant McKinnie is a guy that we held out just for conditioning purposes. We’re going to probably continue to do that and continue to try and get him in good shape. I think practice-wise, he’s just as well doing the conditioning part of it.”

Let me start this post by saying I fully understand a few things. One is that Harbaugh has never felt the need to share more information than necessary about any of his players. Another is that the information was new to reporters, so asking follow up questions might not have seemed pertinent. I wasn’t present at minicamp (media availability was scheduled during my radio show “The Reality Check” on AM1570 WNST.net each day) and was unable to fully grasp exactly what was going on.

With no media availability scheduled before the start of Training Camp, reporters felt it necessary to question Harbaugh later in the week for more information about McKinnie’s status. Unfortunately the coach was again vague, offering “we will leave that between us. That’s something that is an in-house type of thing right now. Bryant has done a good job, he’s worked hard. It’s not as simple as some of you guys want to make it. It’s just a situation where we are going to do what is best for the team, what is best for Bryant. We want him here; there’s no reason he wouldn’t be here. He has worked hard, so you try to do what’s most beneficial for every guy in every situation, and it’s always individualized.”

Now’s the part where I offer some examples of various stories I’ve read about Bryant McKinnie.

Here’s this from SI.com…

“Cut last season by the Vikings, Bryant McKinnie, who sat out Thursday’s practice, may be on the verge of extending an ignominious streak. Here is a player who has a history of being overweight and struggled with the same problem last season. He also reportedly has financial problems, yet can’t get into good enough shape to participate in minicamp. You have to question his commitment and when a team starts signing veteran offensive linemen and McKinnie gets held out of minicamp, it could be a sign of things to come.”

And this from SB Nation…

“The Baltimore Ravens gave veteran left tackle Bryant McKinnie a $500,000 roster bonus earlier this spring, but now might be regretting the outlay of cash. McKinnie came to Baltimore after the Minnesota Vikings cut him last summer for reporting to camp overweight. The Ravens rounded him into shape and he had a pretty solid year, allowing the team to shift Michael Oher over to right tackle and solidify that side of the offensive line.

McKinnie reportedly was on his way to getting in good shape earlier this year, but the most recent news was that the team held him out of the mini-camp this past week for “conditioning reasons.” This does not bode well for either the Ravens nor McKinnie.

Bryant is on the short end of a legal case where he defaulted on a $4 million loan he took out during the NFL Lockout last year and seriously needs a full season paycheck to pay it back. If he does not report to the Ravens Training Camp in six weeks in excellent shape, there is a very good chance that the team may decide to cut ties with him and let him go.”

Allow me to be fair again for a second. The SI.com blurb was a clear re-write with no author attached. While SB Nation does have a handful of experienced journalists and columnists, their sites are still largely made up of part-time writers/editors with no actual experience truly covering a team.

So perhaps CSNBaltimore.com’s veteran writer Ray Frager would be a better source.

“Offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie’s conditioning issues have been a big part of the Ravens chatter over this week. There is speculation he is around that 400-pound summit that caused him to lose his job in Minnesota.”

Maybe even the Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston would be a better option.

“The entire McKinnie episode is strange and you wonder if he is going to be around when training camp opens. Here is a player who has a history of being overweight and struggled with the same problem last season.

He also reportedly has financial problems, yet can’t get into good enough shape to participate in minicamp. You have to question his commitment and when a team starts signing veteran offensive linemen and McKinnie gets held out of minicamp, it could be a sign of things to come.”

Doubts about his route-running ability caused University of Miami wide receiver Tommy Streeter to fall to the sixth round before the Ravens finally took a chance on the 6-foot-5 specimen with the 198th overall pick.

But what he lacks in refinement he makes up for with confidence, showing the same swagger made famous by countless former Hurricanes over the last 25 years. Running the 40-yard dash in an impressive 4.40 seconds in addition to his impressive height, the raw Streeter views himself as a dynamic playmaker instead of a sixth-round pick without a guarantee of a roster spot in the fall.

“I feel like I’m one of those guys who can create a mismatch anywhere on the field with my size and speed,” Streeter told AM 1570 WNST on Saturday. “I consider myself to be a deep-threat receiver, a guy that can take the lid off of the defense.”

Streeter caught 46 passes for 811 yards and eight touchdowns in his redshirt-junior season after recording just six receptions for 156 yards in his first two seasons at Miami. The improvement prompted him to forgo his final year of eligibility and enter the 2012 NFL Draft, where he initially expected to be taken in the second or third round.

His measurables suggest a receiver with immense potential, but his limited body of work at Miami and lack of quickness getting out of breaks caused teams to pass on Streeter in search of more polished products. Averaging 17.6 yards per catch to lead the ACC among players with at least 45 receptions, Streeter vows not to forget the feeling of falling down the board as he tries to make an immediate impact for the Ravens.

“Over the course of just watching the draft, there were many teams that passed up on me and I thank God that the Baltimore Ravens saw something in me,” Streeter said. “They gave me the opportunity. Everything that I can do to make plays and help this organization, that’s what I’m going to do and I’m just ready to go out there and prove myself.”

General manager Ozzie Newsome made it no secret the organization was looking to add depth at the receiver position, but the Ravens elected to pass on such prospects as Georgia Tech’s Stephen Hill and LSU’s Rueben Randle in the early rounds.

Baltimore wide receivers not named Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith combined for just eight receptions and 110 yards in 2011, with former No. 3 target Lee Evans making only four catches in an injury-plagued season before being released in March. The Ravens hope Streeter can eventually emerge as the tall target to which quarterback Joe Flacco can look inside the 20-yard line.

With Boldin and tight ends Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta working the short and intermediate parts of the field, the Ravens have dreamed about a 6-foot-5 target being able to stretch the field for years. Streeter thinks he can be that guy for offensive coordinator Cam Cameron.

“Having Torrey Smith, it’s going to be a scary [having] two guys that present that big play, [an] ability to take the top off the defense,” Streeter said. “At the same time, I feel like in the red zone, I just create a mismatch all day down there.”

While the Ravens’ history of drafting defensive players from Miami is known around the NFL, they have rarely counted on offensive standouts from the Florida school, with former running back Willis McGahee the only Hurricane of note contributing on the opposite side of the ball. McGahee was acquired in a trade with the Buffalo Bills in 2007 and spent four seasons in Baltimore.

Continue >>>

Members of the 2001 national championship team before moving on to successful NFL careers, Ravens safety Ed Reed and left tackle Bryant McKinnie were inducted into the University of Miami Hall of Fame on Thursday.

Reed was named a consensus first-team All-America in 2000 and 2001. The ball-hawking safety led the nation with nine interceptions for 209 return yards and three touchdowns in his senior season. The Big East named Reed as a co-winner of its Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2001, and the free safety was named National Defensive Player of the Year by Football News. Reed set multiple records at Miami, including interceptions (21), interception return yards (389), and interceptions returned for a touchdown (five). He also participated in track and field at Miami and was a Big East champion in the javelin.

McKinnie received first-team All-America honors in 2000 and was a consensus first-team All-America in 2001 in being recognized as the nation’s most dominant left tackle. The mammoth left tackle was the 2001 Outland Trophy winner, awarded to the nation’s best offensive lineman.

Both entering their 11th season in the NFL, Reed was selected by the Ravens with the 24th overall pick of the 2002 draft and is an eight-time Pro Bowl selection as well as the 2004 AP Defensive Player of the Year. The Vikings drafted McKinnie with the seventh overall pick in 2001, and the left tackle spent nine years in Minnesota before being cut last summer.

The Ravens signed McKinnie to a two-year contract last August to make him their left tackle, and he started 16 games for the 2011 AFC North champions.

The two Ravens join current teammate Ray Lewis as members of Miami’s Hall of Fame. The future Hall of Fame linebacker was inducted in 2006.

Honorable Mention: Boxing-Orlando Salido vs. Juan Manuel Lopez (Saturday 10pm from San Juan, Puerto Rico live on Showtime); Mixed Martial Arts: Bellator Fighting Championships 60 (Friday 8pm from Hammond, IN live on MTV2); Soccer: MISL Eastern Division Final-Rochester Lancers @ Baltimore Blast (Saturday 7:35pm 1st Mariner Arena, Leg 2 Monday 7pm in Rochester); Tennis: ATP Tour/WTA Tour BNP Paribas Open (Saturday-Monday 2pm from Indian Wells, CA live on Tennis Channel); Charm City Roller Girls (Saturday 5:30pm Du Burns Arena)

10. Black Keys/Arctic Monkeys (Friday 8pm Verizon Center); Boyce Avenue (Wednesday 6:30pm Rams Head Live), Pat Green (Friday 8pm Rams Head Live), moe. (Saturday 8pm Rams Head Live), Orgy (Sunday 6:30pm Rams Head Live); Cris Jacobs Band (Friday 8pm 8×10 Club), Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers (Saturday 8pm 8×10 Club); Kindred the Family Soul (Friday 7:30pm Baltimore Soundstage); Playing for Change Band (Wednesday 8pm Rams Head on Stage); Mutemath (Saturday 7pm 9:30 Club), Young The Giant/Grouplove (Sunday 7pm 9:30 Club); Experience Hendrix feat. Buddy Guy, Jonny Lang, Kenny Wayne Shepherd (Tuesday 8pm Strathmore); Travis Tritt (Tuesday 7:30pm Birchmere); North Mississippi All-Stars (Saturday 9pm State Theatre); Bruce Springsteen “Wrecking Ball” available in stores/on iTunes (Tuesday)

The Black Keys sold out the Verizon Center. That’s amazing. I’ll most look forward to the part where the place that usually houses smelly Caps fans turns into one large Phoenix Coyotes rally…

Boyce Avenue is not an act I should ever voluntarily admit to enjoying. I should ABSOLUTELY never admit to enjoying their cover of Rihanna’s “Umbrella”…

The PFC band is fantastic. You’ll probably remember this…

Young The Giant authored perhaps the single most underrated song of 2011…

9. Bill Bellamy (Thursday-Saturday Baltimore Comedy Factory); Kevin Pollak (Thursday-Saturday Magooby’s Joke House); Todd Glass (Thursday-Sunday DC Improv); Baltimore St. Patrick’s Day Parade/Shamrock 5K (Sunday 1:15pm Inner Harbor/Downtown Baltimore); “Friends With Kids” opens in theaters (Friday)

One-I love a good St. Patty’s Day throw down a week before the 17th. In honor of that, I think I’ll make a stop at the Tilted Kilt in White Marsh after the parade…

Note: I’m aware that’s a Scotish thing. It’s late. I’m tired.

Note 2: Does it really matter anyway?

And since we’re here, I actually think “Friends With Kids” has a bit of a “watchable chick flick” feel. It also has Jon Hamm. As in THIS Jon Hamm…

COLLEGE PARK — After the University of Maryland basketball team suffered a disastrous second half letdown in a 71-44 loss at the University of Virginia Saturday, it would have been easy to believe a season ending freefall had begun.

Head coach Mark Turgeon said he only needed 48 hours to believe that wasn’t going to be the case.

“I was so down. There was nothing going on on the bus (after the loss in Charlottesville), there was no one talking except me and I was just yelling at my assistants, just venting to them” Turegon said. “We finished practice (Monday) and we had a great practice. I said ‘you know what? Everybody around here thinks we’re just going to roll over and quit and you showed me today that we’re not.’ I went home and had a great night with my family, enjoyed dinner, slept well, and that’s all you can ask as a coach.”

Turgeon’s intuition proved totally accurate, as his Terrapins rallied from a late deficit Tuesday night to beat Miami 75-70 at Comcast Center. The Terrapins (16-11, 6-7 Atlantic Coast Conference) trailed by five points in the final two minutes of the game, but got big plays from G Sean Mosley and F/C James Padgett to overcome the Hurricanes (16-10, 7-6 ACC). Turgeon called the win the best his team had recorded all season.

“I know the (December) Notre Dame game probably looks like it’s better, but under that circumstance and under this circumstance it was just a great win for out team.”

This circumstance being just days removed from the Terps’ worst performance since an early season beatdown suffered at the hands of Iona in the 5-Hour Energy Puerto Rico Tip-Off. Maryland scored just 13 points in the second half of their loss at John Paul Jones Arena, looking at times as though a thin roster and lack of NCAA Tournament hopes had combined to suck the life out of the team.

The life returned in a big way Tuesday night, proving Turgeon’s message was still ringing with a thin group of overachieving players.

“If we would have lost this game by, I would have been really, really disappointed, but I would have been really proud of my team.” Turgeon said. “Tonight I really felt the coaching-we’d call a play and they’d actually run it. We changed some things offensively which really helped us. Our guys played as a team. The crowd got into it late. We made all the plays – Sean (Mosley) made a big three, Padgett the and-one, (Freshman G) Nick (Faust) the big steal, we stepped up and made free throws. It was just a great win for us.”

A win over a Tournament bubble team in Miami does not suddenly lift the Terrapins’ postseason hopes, but it likely prevents a young group of players from feeling sorry for themselves and sleepwalking through the end of the season. It might not pay dividends immediately, but it could have a long term effect as Turgeon suggested postgame.

“That’s the kind of win right there that will carry over hopefully for the rest of the year and into the future because we are a young team and we’ve got to learn how to win. And when you win a game like that, you’re learning how to win. And I know our program has won-I understand they won 19 games last year. But this group hasn’t won and so to win a game like that is just going to help our young kids.”

Perhaps the most important of those young kids is Faust, who also said the victory was the biggest of his career.

“I would say this is a win that will carry over. We’ve seen that we can play as a team and overcome. Even when we’re down we can still get back in the game; so this is a win that will carry over.”

While it was Sophomore G Terrell Stoglin (20 points) who again lead the way for the Terrapins, the positive contributions from Padgett (16 points, six boards and the late three point play) and Faust (eight points, eight rebounds and a crucial late steal) offer a bright spot and a building block for players and fans alike moving towards Turgeon’s second season.

The next two or three weeks aren’t likely to be very rewarding for the Maryland program, but the sustained growth from this group could be exactly what is needed to reap rewards in the future.

Either way, it’s a much better feeling than watching a group of players fall apart as they did just three days earlier.

-G

• Miami (16-9, 7-5) at Maryland (15-11, 5-7)
  Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2012 | 8 p.m. | Comcast Center
  ACC Network (WNUV 54 in Baltimore) | Terrapin Sports Radio Network

• Maryland plays its return match with Miami in a Tuesday-night test at Comcast Center. The Terrapins and Hurricanes played one of the best games of the season so far in the Atlantic Coast Conference on Feb. 1 when the `Canes prevailed in a 90-86 double-overtime game. The Terrapins are 15-11 after last Saturday’s 71-44 loss at 22nd-ranked Virginia, and come into the game tied for seventh place in the league with a 5-7 conference mark. The Canes are 16-9 overall and in a three-way tie for fourth in the league with NC State and Virginia at 7-5.
• The Terrapins got 33 points from Terrell Stoglin in the double-OT loss at Miami earlier in the season. The talented sophomore had six 3-pointers and went 9-for-9 from the free-throw line. Maryland came back from a 16-point deficit in the final seven minutes of regulation to send the game into overtime.
• Maryland is completing a tight turnaround in its schedule, with three games in six days. The Terrapins played host to Boston College last Thursday, traveled to Charlottesville for a game early Saturday afternoon and complete the whirlwind against Miami on Tuesday at 8 p.m.
• Stoglin continues to lead the Atlantic Coast Conference in scoring, now at 21.4 points per game. Stoglin has 24 straight games with double figures in points, and has 18 games with at least 20 points or more. The Terrapins are 12-6 in games in which he hits the 20-point mark. Against Boston College, Stoglin set the school record for 3-pointers in a season by a sophomore. Now with 72, he has surpassed the 64 of Greivis Vasquez in 2008.
• Nick Faust has been playing particularly well of late, taking over the point guard role after the season-ending knee injury to Pe’Shon Howard. Faust has averaged 14.0 points per game in his last three outings, scoring in double figures in the last three and four of the last five games. He has also stood out at the defensive end, getting 11 steals in the last six games. His five against Boston College marked the first time a Terp player had that many in a game since the ACC Quarterfinals in 2010 when both Greivis Vasquez and Landon Milbourne accomplished that feat.
• Maryland has won the last two straight over Miami in games played in Comcast Center, including an 81-59 victory on 1/26/2010 in the most recent matchup in College Park.
• After road games at Georgia Tech on Saturday and at North Carolina on Feb. 29, the Terrapins will play their final game of the regular season at Comcast Center on Sunday, March 4 on Senior Day against Virginia.
  

  Scouting the Hurricanes

• Miami is 16-9 and 7-5 in the ACC following a 74-56 home win over Wake Forest on Saturday… The Hurricanes are 4-6 on the road this season, but have won three of the last four, beating Georgia Tech, Boston College and Duke while falling to Florida State.
• Junior guard Durand Scott is averaging a team-high 12.9 ppg and is one of four Hurricanes averaging double figures… junior forward Kenny Kadji (12.8), senior guard Malcolm Grant (11.6) and junior center Reggie Johnson (11.1) are the other three… Both Scott and Kadji had 18 points in the win over Wake Forest.
• Miami ranks second in the ACC in 3FG made per game (7.5), with Grant, Trey McKinney Jones and Shane Larkin leading the way… Grant has made 49 of 162 (.302), McKinney Jones 30 of 84 (.357) and Larkin 27 of 76 (.355)… Against Wake Forest the Hurricanes made 12 of 31 3FG attempts (.387).
• With the 6-foot-10, 284-pound Johnson and 6-foot-11, 251-pound Kadji, Miami has an imposing frontcourt… Johnson is averaging a team-high 7.1 rebounds per game, while Kadji has a team-best 40 blocks.
  

  Upcoming

  After road games at Georgia Tech on Saturday and at North Carolina on Feb. 29, the Terrapins will play their final game of the regular season at Comcast Center on Sunday, March 4 on Senior Day against Virginia.

  The Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament will be held March 8 to 11 at Phillips Arena in Atlanta.