If we’ve learned anything from a fast and furious first half here at Comcast Center, it’s that the Terp offense looks a lot better when the home team is knocking down its outside shots.
Greivis Vasquez and Eric Hayes combined to hit the team’s first five three-point attempts and they have ridden the hot start to a 10-point halftime lead in front of a slightly smaller but enthusiastic crowd.
In all, the Terps have hit nine of their 16 long range attempts. They are just 7-for-20 on two-point field goals.
Hayes’ third three-pointer seven minutes into the game put the Terps up 19-9. A 10-2 run spurred by five points off the bench by Cliff Tucker extended the lead to 32-16 and had Comcast Center rocking.
The Tar Heels responded with a 14-2 run of their own to cut the lead back to four, but the Terps opened it back up a little bit at the end of the half.
Greivis Vasquez, who recorded a triple-double in last season’s win against the Tar Heels, has 14 points, six assists and three rebounds. He’s also turned the ball over just once.
In the Terps’ win at Florida State on Thursday, the bench supplied just three points and no field goals. Today, they’ve already hit for 12 points, paced by Cliff Tucker’s seven.
North Carolina, which had a pretty rough travel schedule starting with a Thursday loss at Virginia Tech, has stayed close with a balanced attack. Four Tar Heels, including big men Ed Davis and Deon Thompson, have at least six points, but none have more than seven.
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Eric Detweiler is The Diamondback’s Terrapin Men’s Basketball Team beat writer. He can be reached at edetweilerdbk@gmail.com. You can follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/edetweiler.