— Another bad start by Maryland and Gary Williams' head might have exploded.
Another loss at home for the Terps after that ugly 17-point pasting they took from Virginia Tech Thursday and their fiery coach might have thrown himself into traffic on Route 1.
That's how desperate the situation had become for Maryland, which was without a win over a quality team and very much on the bubble of going to the NCAA Tournament — even if it is still only January.
(OK, is it too early to even bring that up? Especially so soon after the Ravens plunged this entire area into mourning? My apologies. I don't know what I was thinking.)
But the Terps gave their beleaguered coach — and their fans — a break Saturday, holding on for a gutty, if shaky, 79-77 win over Clemson at Comcast Center.
How shaky was the win?
This shaky: With 1.6 seconds remaining and the Terps clinging to a 78-77 lead, senior Cliff Tucker was fouled. After a timeout, he made the first shot.
But Williams had him purposely miss the second shot, hoping Clemson would grab the rebound and time would run out before the Tigers could get off a good shot.
You could argue with the strategy — I do.
A second made free throw would have made the Tigers have to go the length of the court and hit a three just to tie the game.
But Tucker played his role perfectly, clanging the ball off the right side of the rim.
Except … it rolled straight out of bounds.
Without a Clemson player touching it.
And no time running off the clock.
This is why coaches have heart palpitations. This is why 35-year-old coaches look 55, and 55-year-old coaches look like they just jumped off an autopsy table.
That gave the Tigers one last shot at the game-winner, with Demontez Stitt's desperation heave missing at the buzzer and Williams looking more relieved than I think I've ever seen him.
"I've never seen that in my life," Williams said of Tucker's miss and the ball going out of bounds. "In, like, 1,200 games. The [ball] just kept … I don't know how it got out of bounds.
"The deal is, if you make that, it would have put us up three. Now they have a chance with 1.6 seconds. Everybody has a play in that situation. What you're hoping for on the miss is they grab the rebound and by the time they come down and make a pass, they're [heaving] it from 85 feet."
Well, OK, Coach.
Me, I think you dodged a bullet on that one.
But there's no question this win was exactly what Maryland needed.
Not only did it up the Terps' record to 12-7 (2-3 in the ACC), but it showed them they could win even when their talented big man, sophomore Jordan Williams, was being hacked down low with the usual double- and triple-teams.
No, it's not exactly a state secret that the way to beat Maryland is to neutralize Jordan Williams.
Opposing teams double him constantly. They sag their zones around him. They grab him, clutch at his jersey, bang him around in the paint.
In the 74-57 loss to Virginia Tech Thursday, the Terps seemed to panic when they couldn't get the ball inside to Jordan.
They started hoisting bad shots right away. And when they did manage to get off good shots, they weren't going in.
But against Clemson, it was a different story. Not only did the Terps shoot well from the outside, but they relied on dribble-penetration to pull Clemson defenders away from the basket and free Williams for easy layups.
"They were double- and triple-teaming Jordan and leaving guys open on the perimeter," said Tucker, who finished with 15 points. "And when [the Terps big men[ pass the ball out, we have to hit those shots to win.
"All the guards shot well today. If we do that, I think we'll be a hard team to beat."
Said senior guard Adrian Bowie (13 points): "We are definitely an inside-out team. If Jordan can command a double-team like he usually does, we have easier opportunities to take jump shots or drive to the basket."
So maybe the Terps learned a big lesson in this shaky win over Clemson.
Maybe they learned that it's not the end of the world when they can't get the ball inside, and that they can't just let the rest of the offense grind to a halt.
Somebody besides Jordan Williams has to be able to put the ball in the basket.
Otherwise, it's going to be a long, long season.
And we won't even bring up what could happen when March Madness comes along.
(Listen to Kevin Cowherd Tuesdays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. with Jerry Coleman on Fox 1370 AM Sports.)