Feb. 18, 2006
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) – Ekene Ibekwe scored five of his 14 points in overtime, converting a key three-point play during a decisive 8-0 run in Maryland’s 87-84 victory over Georgia Tech on Saturday.
Mike Jones scored 21 points, James Gist added 12 points and a career-high 12 rebounds and D.J. Strawberry had 12 points for Maryland (16-9, 6-6 Atlantic Coast Conference), which had lost two straight and five of six.
Ra’Sean Dickey led Georgia Tech (10-14, 3-10) with 23 points, and Zam Fredrick added 17. The Yellow Jackets have lost nine of 10 and dropped eight straight conference road games. They fell to 1-8 overall on the road.
Gary Williams won his 350th game as the Terrapins’ coach despite watching Georgia Tech convert 26 Maryland turnovers into 30 points.
Dickey’s baseline jumper at the start of overtime put Tech up 80-78, but Maryland reeled off the next eight points.
After Ibekwe hit a foul shot for an 81-80 lead with 3:16 remaining in overtime, he drew a charge from the Yellow Jackets’ Jeremis Smith on the inbounds play.
On the ensuing possession, Ibekwe loped through the lane for a driving dunk, sinking a free throw for a three-point play after being fouled.
The Terrapins squandered a 50-41 second-half lead, rallied to take a 73-69 advantage on Jones’ 3-pointer from the left corner with 5:15 left, then let Georgia Tech tie the game five times during the remainder of regulation, the last on Smith’s free throw with 39.2 seconds left
Nik Caner-Medley’s drive with 4 seconds left was blocked by Dickey, but Jones returned the favor at the other end of the court, swatting away Fredrick’s right-side jumper at the buzzer to force overtime.
Maryland shot 58 percent from the field in the first half and closed the half on an 8-2 run for a 38-35 lead. Gist started the burst, converting a Parrish Brown pass for a two-handed slam, and Caner-Medley finished it with two free throws.
But the Georgia Tech stayed close, thanks to 12 first-half Terrapin turnovers resulting in 15 Yellow Jacket points. Georgia Tech was forced into a perimeter game early, going 2-for-9 from 3-point range in the opening half.
