Howard White firmly gripped the ledge on January 9, 1971, doing everything in his power to stay afloat.
Below him, a deluge of students was stunned. They had rarely seen a night like this in their time at College Park. Maryland men’s basketball has long been on the ACC ground, struggling to compete with the perennial powers of North Carolina, Duke, the State of North Carolina and South Carolina.
But on that cold January night, things started to change. The Terps survived Gamecocks # 2 by 31-30, securing Lefty Driesell’s first victory against the opposition in his Maryland career and bringing the Terps to the consciousness of a disinterested student body.
“This game sparked students’ interest in participating,” said Driesell. “It was a very important game for us.”
It was a game engulfed in controversy. Three weeks earlier, the two sides started a fight in Colombia. Concern over a repetition increased dramatically in the days leading up to the rematch.
Meanwhile, Maryland’s offensive approach – centered on holding the ball as long as possible – was controversial.
For those who were there, though, that game – and the frantic celebrations it sparked – meant more. College Park erupted, a campus community bursting with life after a major upheaval.
And now, 50 years later, the reverberations of that wild night at Cole Field House still sound as loud as ever.
“It was a pandemonium,” said former student Maury Schlossman.
[The road to independence: The Diamondback in the Vietnam War era]
***
Despite all his experience, Driesell did not see the punch coming. It was December 16, 1970 and the Terps were in trouble. Towards the Gamecocks, a skirmish between Charlie Blank of Maryland and John Ribock of South Carolina erupted under the Maryland basket.
The seats soon emptied, as did many of the stands at the Carolina Coliseum. Amid the ensuing confusion, Ribock opened Driesell’s lip with a clean right cross.
“After the game, [former South Carolina head coach] Frank McGuire said, ‘Nobody hit Lefty. He was spinning and hitting himself, ‘”Driesell recalled with a laugh.
The game ended shortly thereafter. Despite White’s exploits – the second guard dropped a record 38 points at the Coliseum of Carolina – the Gamecocks came out on top by 26 points. However, the stage was set for an exciting rematch in College Park three weeks later.
In the days leading up to the game, the atmosphere on campus was tense. This campus was already used to crises; months earlier, the Maryland National Guard occupied the campus in response to student protests against the Vietnam War.
“We were, in the spring, gassed by tear gas with the National Guard,” said student Kathleen Galinat. “It was really crazy, and [basketball] it was a positive and fun outing that everyone looked forward to. There was no other sport that made us get together and have so much fun ”.
However, it seemed that this university was creating another type of conflict there as well. The sports department acted quickly to contain any potential reprisals, holding talks with several student organizations.
Two days before the game, the department published a full-page ad on The Diamondback begging students to “grant Coach McGuire and his Carolina team the warm welcome, courteous treatment and gracious hospitality we offer to all guests in our campus. “
[“The Microwave”: Maryland men’s basketball is hard to stop when Aaron Wiggins heats up]
The South Carolina trip went largely as planned. Still, on January 9, the atmosphere at Cole Field House looked strikingly different. With 14,312 spectators in the stands on that icy night, it was clear that something special was taking place.
“The place was electric,” said former assistant coach Joe Harrington. “This would be the Third World War.”
***
White stayed close to the half-court, as happy as he could be. On the other side of it were the Gamecocks and their robust defense zone. They had been given strict instructions not to stray too far from the perimeter.
So White waited. And waited. The seconds became minutes, with White and Jim O’Brien taking turns in possession of the ball.
“As soon as we caught the ball, we held it,” said Harrington. “We went to the midfield and held the ball.”
That was Maryland’s game plan, said Harrington. South Carolina had one of the most prolific offensives in the country, driven by future NBA players Tom Owens and John Roche.
The Terps caught a glimpse of the Gamecocks’ powerful attack earlier in the season, struggling to contain people like Owens and Roche before the game turned into chaos.
So Driesell drew up a plan: to get White and O’Brien to keep the ball close to midfield. Maryland was using its attack to defend itself, said Driesell. By keeping the ball out of South Carolina’s hands, the Terps were giving themselves a chance.
“Our game plan was, ‘Look, they’re too good. We can’t play a normal game against these guys, ‘”said Driesell. “’We are not going to hold the ball, but we will be very cautious when shooting.’”
[Eric Ayala delivered for Maryland men’s basketball when it mattered most]
Maryland was cautious, taking few precious photos in the opening frame. But, so were Gamecocks, staying in their zone all the time. The game was at a standstill. And for those present, it was clear who had the advantage.
“Maryland was just teasing them all the time, just holding the ball,” said Wayne Galinat, Galinat’s former student and husband.
After White hit the horn at the bottom line, the Terps entered the range with a 4-3 lead. In total, the two teams combined for just four attempts at shooting.
It was not quite an advertisement for the beauty and grace of the university game. But, the students didn’t care. Maryland was well and truly in it.
The score would increase slightly in the second half. And as the game approached its crescendo, those in the stands made their voices heard, applauding, laughing, shouting – whatever was needed to stimulate the Terps.
“It didn’t matter [that] the score was low, ”said Galinat. “Anticipating what is going to happen, how are they going to deal with it? We were not expected to win, so we wanted to. “
***
Bob Bodell did not know when his number would be called. But, he knew he had to be ready.
That moment would take some time to materialize, to be sure. But there was Bodell, on the floor with 14 seconds left on the clock and Maryland losing 30-27 in overtime.
He had a close look when White hit a wandering pass on the South Carolina field, feeding Dick Stobaugh to cut the Gamecocks’ lead to just one.
Now, with eight seconds remaining, it was time for Bodell to warm up in the spotlight – if only for a fleeting moment. Bodell deflected Roche’s pass in midfield before finding White. The second-year guard passed the ball to O’Brien, who was on the foul line. The sophomore striker stood up and fired when the game clock expired.
Dropped down. The Terps secured the turnaround. And as the students fell to the ground, the weight of victory was evident to everyone involved.
“That was very exciting,” said Bodell. “To be part of the turnaround that ended up winning the game for us.”
[Led by Aaron Wiggins and Eric Ayala, Maryland men’s basketball edges past No. 24 Purdue, 61-60]
Schlossman ran down the stairs, hoping to join the cheering crowd that was forming near the central court.
And amid the crowd of students around him, Schlossman was happy. Maryland men’s basketball provided students – and himself – with a brief respite from the stress of the outside world.
The rest of the night is a blur, admits Schlossman. Those memories have disappeared in the 50 years since.
But the joy that Schlossman felt at that moment, peering into the chorus of noise that surrounded him, will be difficult to shake.
“It’s one of the … highlights of my life,” said Schlossman. “It was such a big thing.”
