The first Illinois-MD game I saw in DC was at what's now the Verizon Center the weekend after Thanksgiving '99 at a tournament comprising the Illini, Terps, GW and Seton Hall. We lost by two, in a complete thriller, to the team that would mature to an NC winner two seasons later. I vividly recall frosh Frankie driving the lane for the game-tying shot in the waning seconds, which rolled around and out. First and only time I saw him play in person.
That's the way it has been for us here for many years: in and out. That Cowan dagger Ayo's soph year after we'd led for 39:55. Coming here in '22 four days after that epic MLK-Day Purdue game when we were the superior team but Kofi was concussed, BBV started at center, and Curbelo was still half-speed, and also ill. Last year when Epps' trey racked in and out in the waning moments, Young drained one at the other end, and we lost. So close so often.
I'll give MD its due. They play to the level of their opposition this year and they were nails-tough last evening. Young is a joy to watch, I've enjoyed Donta Scott for five seasons now and Reese, well, he's a sharp-elbowed tool but gets it done. Mike LaTulip noted on the post game WDWS shows last evening that they're 1-6 in one-possession games. They're a lot better than 6-9; could easily be 9-6.
So sweet to leave that dungeon with a W. Outstanding Illini fan presence. After the game we wandered down to the bench area. Jayden Epps was there joking with Sencire and TSJ. Amani, who's local, must have had two dozen family and friends there. He walked up into the stands to greet everyone. Luke and Marcus had family there, too. Met and chatted with Robert of
IlliniBoard for the first time.
Of course, I can't visit Xfinity Center without taking home foul memories of low-rent Terp fans. I'll long remember the "Lock him up!!" chants at Terrance, the ~ dozen BIG TEN SPORTSMANSHIP GUIDELINES admonishments on the Jumbotron, and the students booing that message every time. And Terrance, throughout the 2H, shooting FTs over and over into the student wall at that end of the court as they chanted at him, sinking FT after FT with dead calm. I believe he missed only one.
But that memory is flushed into the septic tank by the sequence of CoHawk ill-advisedly saving a ball OOB at our baseline out toward the Terp end, Young picking it off and driving unimpeded toward the hoop to finally take the lead for MD, Marcus catching him and spectacularly denying the shot w/o fouling, and Justin, having reversed his momentum completely from near the opposite baseline and sprinting, Terry Hawthorne-like, down the floor to cover Reese and deny an easy trailer basket, grabbing the rebound and shooting a 3/4-court dart to CoHawk, who finishes with an and-one slam, palms the ball, and trolls the student section. The game turned on that sequence. Oh... and 89% FT shooting. On the road. Into a dead-hostile crowd.
We have a special team. They're frustrating at times, of course. As CoHawk noted afterward, they had some lapses down the stretch. (And he wasn't exaggerating, BTW, about there being usually 1k here: in '22 on a Friday night there couldn't have been more than 3k in the building. Around 13-14k or so by my reckoning showed up last evening, and they got loud.) MD threw everything they had at us and led us precisely once during the entire game.
Gonna remember this one fondly for many years. A toast to my brothers and sisters in the DMV who are savoring as much as I am this morning. And to our Illini hardwood warriors for giving us such satisfaction.
One more time:
week for me. Lost a dear friend last night
