American upsets Maryland, 67-59

College Park (Map, News) - Comcast Center wasn’t at full capacity Saturday afternoon, though it was overflowing with frustrated fans. The holiday break crowd — announced as a sellout at 17,950 fans — showered the Terrapins with boos in the closing seconds of a 67-59 loss to American University. It was just the second time in 16 meetings the Eagles had toppled the Terrapins, and the first since the 1926-27 season.

Maryland (6-6) lost for the third consecutive game — all at Comcast Center — and is 6-6 for the first time since the 1995-96 season. The Terrapins have lost three straight home games for the first time since February 1993.

“Its real frustrating,” sophomore guard Eric Hayes said. “We’ve beaten a Big Ten team [Illinois], and we’re capable of doing that. To come out and play like we did against Ohio, and tonight against American, we’re kind of just playing down to the competition.”

Maryland shot just 35.8 percent from the field, including 20.8 in the first half, and was out-rebounded, 40-33.

“I’m tired of teams coming in here with a higher intensity level than we have,” coach Gary Williams said. “We have to figure out how to be a much more aggressive team. My teams usually are. We need to figure out how to get this team aggressive.”

American (7-5) didn’t exactly hit everything it shot, hitting just 38.6 percent from the floor. The Eagles, however, hit 15-of-18 free throws. Three American players in double-digits, led by junior guard Derrick Mercer, who scored 18 points in 40 minutes.

Maryland’s Greivis Vasquez led all scorers with a career-high 28 points, and Hayes scored 16 points. But aside from the sophomore guards, the rest of Maryland’s players combined to shoot 4-of-27 from the field with 15 points.

“It’s getting to the point where it’s enough talk and enough waiting on guys to step up,” senior forward James Gist said. “We have to step up now.”

Gist fouled out with 5:16 remaining, having scored just three points and being held without a field goal until hitting a jump shot with 8:19 remaining in the second half.

For much of the first half, the Terrapins found the rim, but didn’t find much cooperation. Despite getting plenty of open looks at the basket, Maryland shot just 20.8 percent (5-for-24) in the opening half.

Mercer’s buzzer-beating lay-up capped a full-court drive that began with under six seconds left in the half. It was also an exclamation on a generally lackadaisical first half for Maryland, which falls to 0-5 when trailing after the first 20 minutes.

“He’s a good player,” Williams said. “They had some guys step up today and maybe score more than they have before.”

NOTES: Junior forward Dave Neal returned to the rotation and scored two points with four rebounds after missing nine games with a shoulder injury … Former Terrapin forward Mike Grinnon, who played from 2001-05, was seated behind the Maryland bench Saturday.

swelsh@baltimoreexaminer.com

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