Maryland upsets second ranked Duke

The Maryland Terrapins men's' basketball team has been struggling this season, but on Wednesday, Jan. 26 they had their first big win of the season as they beat the previously undefeated Duke Blue Devils 75-66 at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Coming into the game the Terrapins had been blown out by NC State, Wake Forest and University of North Carolina by a combined 65 points and had not shown the ability to compete with top-level teams. Meanwhile Duke was tearing through the ACC and was undefeated carring a no. 2 national ranking. Given Maryland's recent performance their hopes of winning looked slim; however against Duke the team came out with intensity and focus propelling them to pull off the upset.

Maryland has struggled both on offense and defense, however against Duke the team stepped-up on defensively and found their shooting touch. Senior forward Nick Caner-Medley scored 25 points as he continued to lead the Terps. He has been one of the few bright spots for the team in the past few games as he is averaging around 24 points in the past five games. However, the rest of the team came alive against Duke getting off to an early lead and withstanding the Duke comeback. The Terps played tenacious defense and were able to contain the Blue Devil's prolific offense, holding them to 31% shooting.

Maryland's huge win continues a rich history of the rivalry between the two schools. The two teams have met in numerous memorable games including Maryland's overtime victory in last year's ACC tournament. Maryland has dealt Duke three of their last six losses at home.

Wednesday night's performance showed that when the Terps play to their potential they can beat any team in the nation. Although their season appeared to be headed for the tank, this game could provide the spark the team needs to go on a mid-season run and prove themselves as one the elite teams in the ACC. This victory provides the Terps for a key victory on their NCAA resume and will boost their strength of schedule rating, all of which could help propel the Terps into their 12th straight NCAA tournament.