Daily Fix: There Are Upsets In College Basketball…

And then there are the near misses.

The Hampton Pirates, preseason faves to win the MEAC, had one of those tonight, falling to Maryland 70-64 despite holding the Terrapins without a field goal for more than 10 minutes towards the end of the second half. It was the shot that broke that drought, a three by Greivis Vasquez with about a minute and a half left that put the Terps up for good.

Sparked by 6-1 senior guard Rashad West’s 23 points and five triples, the Pirates took a 63-62 lead in the final minute and a half. That lead didn’t last long, however, as diminutive freshman guard Jordan Brooks — he’s listed at 5-9 but is actually 5-6 — went underneath a screen while trying to stick Vasquez, the Terps top perimeter threat. All it took was that second of space for Vazquez to bury the three that put Maryland up 65-63.

Brooks had a chance to atone for his defensive lapse when he somehow came up with an offensive board and got fouled on the ensuing possession but he became unglued by a hyperactive Terps student section chanting “oompah loompah” and bricked both freebies. And that was all she wrote for the Pirates tonight.

Unless you’re Gardner-Webb running an obviously unprepared and disinterested Kentucky team off the court, low-majors have to come pretty close to pitching shutouts to upset automatons from the BCS leagues. Despite losing their outstanding coach Kevin Nickleberry to a first half ejection, the Pirates came pretty close to being perfect tonight.

Pretty close won’t be enough to get a team like a Hampton a road win over an ACC side. At least in November that is.

Come March, when Brooks isn’t making so many freshman errors and the horrific free throw shooting has improved and the 2007-08 Pirates look a lot like a 15-seed that’s going to win a game in the Big Dance.

If you don’t believe me, ask the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, who West and Co. routed 72-55 on Sunday night. Or wait until Thursday night and ask Kent State coach Jim Christian what he thinks since his Golden Flashes get the Pirates next in what should be a great November ball game.