Terps try to sweep Duke off its feet

A national TV audience, ticket scalpers and NCAA tournament implications — it must be time for a Maryland-Duke game.

Maryland (14-7, 5-5 ACC) seeks its first series sweep in 10 years against No. 7 Duke (18-2, 8-2) tonight at Comcast Center. A victory would nearly ensure the Terrapins’ 12th straight NCAA tournament bid barring a late-season collapse.

A loss probably would force the Terps to win three of their final five games for an invitation, assuming they don’t repeat as ACC tournament champions. Five other games remain in the regular season, but this one carries a sense of impending drama.

“This is a big game — everyone knows it,” Terps forward Mike Grinnon said. “We’re not going to sugarcoat it. Beating them for the ACC championship [last season] and getting them on their court [on Jan.[ThSp]26] fires them up a little bit.”

Comcast always is a madhouse when the Blue Devils come calling, with jeers for Duke outnumbering cheers for Maryland. However, this is an especially key game with Maryland trying to seal its postseason bid and Duke seeking to remain in a three-way tie atop the ACC.

It will be intense. It will be memorable. It will be worth watching even if the end comes shortly before midnight. Tickets were selling for more than $250 on EBay yesterday. More than 8,000 students requested tickets, twice their seating allotment.

“A lot of times when you’re out to eat, people will say, ’Good luck this year, beat Duke,’ ” forward Nik Caner-Medley said. “The thing they’ll end every conversation with is, ’Beat Duke.’ ”

More than 3,000 students will watch ESPN’s “GameDay” broadcast live from Comcast 10 hours before tipoff. Coach Gary Williams said the extra national attention helps energize players.

“If you’re into basketball, you kinda like this, ’GameDay’ being here,” he said. “That gets you going, ready to play. … I get motivated for big games, not just Duke games.”

Maryland is trying to prove its earlier 75-66 victory at then-No. 2 Duke and 79-71 triumph over No. 22 Georgia Tech five days later weren’t flukes despite subsequent road losses to Clemson and Miami. The Terps’ 86-71 victory over Virginia Tech on Tuesday was a fair effort against a team that had been a game over .500 in the ACC.

Maryland will be without leading rebounder Ekene Ibekwe (9.0 points, 6.8 rebounds) for the third straight game with a cracked rib, and it has yet to replace the defense of injured guard D.J. Strawberry. Duke must avoid a letdown after surviving No. 2 North Carolina 71-70 on Wednesday.

The Terps certainly will be pumped by fans who ended last year’s Duke game with a vulgar chant toward Blue Devils guard J.J. Redick that provoked controversy over public behavior.

Chat rooms devoted to the Terps have been filled with fans arguing how to best torment Duke. Certainly, the barred former pregame anthem “Rock and Roll, Part II” will be sung by students ringing the court without the band. But Caner-Medley noted Redick often feeds off opposing fans.

“There’s a line and a lot of people cross it sometimes,” Caner-Medley said. “I expect him to play hard. I don’t think anything our fans say to him is going to affect him [negatively]. Anything our fans say will only motivate him and focus him a little more.”

Said Grinnon: “I’m optimistic that our fans will be respectful but also crazy at the same time.”

Maryland needs an adrenaline rush to avoid repeating its recent rash of poor starts. Maryland rallied from a nine-point halftime deficit in the first meeting for its biggest comeback of the season. The Terps converted 11 of 12 free throws in the waning moments to shock the Blue Devils.

Maryland likely will play with a smaller lineup, especially with guards Sterling Ledbetter and Mike Jones receiving increased time in recent weeks. Maryland’s outside shooting has improved, with a season-high 11 3-pointers coming in the 75-73 loss at Miami on Feb. 5.

Notes — Strawberry underwent knee surgery Wednesday and is expected to be ready for practice in October. … Tomorrow’s Maryland-Duke women’s game might break the ACC attendance record of 14,500 at the 1992 Maryland-Virginia game at Cole Field House. The Terps already have sold 11,000 tickets with a large walk-up sale expected for the 3 p.m. start. ESPN2 will televise the game.