• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Unranked Maryland looks for second upset in a row

Nov 28, 2008 - 11:17 AM No. 10 Gonzaga (3-0) vs. Maryland (4-0), 5:30 p.m. EST

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Florida (Ticker) -- Maryland may not have made its way into the national rankings yet, but recognition may be just around the corner.

Fresh off an 80-62 upset of sixth-ranked Michigan State on Thursday, the unbeaten Terrapins will look to win their fifth game in a row on Friday as they take on No. 10 Gonzaga in the semifinals of the Old Spice Classic.

Maryland was difficult to judge through the first week of the season. The Terrapins easily dispatched all three of their opponents - but none of the wins came against particularly formidable foes, especially considering the Terrapins' ACC pedigree.

They passed their first test with flying colors in a Thanksgiving showdown, exploding in the second half to rout the Spartans and advance to the second round of the tourney.

The game was a tight battle early but the Terrapins found an extra gear early in the second half. After blowing a slim halftime lead to fall behind, 43-39, Maryland staged a 16-2 run to take control.

Senior forward Dave Neal tied the game with a layup at the 14:44 mark and Eric Hayes put the Terrapins on top with a 3-pointer a minute later. All-Conference guard Greivis Vasquez and Hayes kept the pressure on inside, dropping in easy lay-ins on back-to-back possessions before Vasquez capped the run by burying a jumper from beyond the arc to extend the lead to 55-45.

Maryland held on from there.

In Gonzaga's opening-round matchup, the Bulldogs survived a strong effort from Oklahoma State en route to an 83-71 win. The seesaw game was tied at 60-60 in the second half before Gonzaga went on a 13-5 run to take control.

Senior guard Micah Downs led five players in double figures with 17 points and 12 boards, while Jeremy Pargo added 15 and seven assists.