- Last season, Maryland was upset by Morgan State at home and later lost by 41 points at Duke.

Each time, a portion of the fan base responded as if the sky were falling.

Maryland coach Gary Williams knows bad defeats - and Wednesday's 83-77 loss to William & Mary qualifies - are inevitably met with criticism and tortured analysis of the team by Terps backers.

The lesson of last season, Williams said, is that Maryland, with its three senior starters, can absorb a blow and come back.

"You move on," Williams said Saturday, before the Terps (8-4) practiced for today's game at UNC-Greensboro (2-10) of the Southern Conference. "We learned that last year. You get ready to play this next game - and we'll be ready."

Maryland shot 4-for-25 on 3-pointers against the Tribe - a statistic that not even a second-half comeback could overcome.

"I don't think physically they were that tough, but mentally and emotionally, it was tough for us to come back from that loss," freshman forward Jordan Williams said. "We thought we were the better team going into the game and during the game. Our shots weren't falling."

Gary Williams says he doesn't want to discourage his players from shooting open 3s. "We had great looks the whole game. The guys that can make those shots, they're supposed to take those shots," he said.

At the same time, the coach said he wants more inside shots. "We stressed that [in practice Friday] - how to get the ball inside and make sure you're looking inside first."

Today's game will be Maryland's last before opening Atlantic Coast Conference play at home against Florida State on Jan. 10.

UNC-Greensboro has already played five ACC schools, including three at Greensboro Coliseum, site of this year's ACC tournament. The Spartans have lost each game - by an average of 21 points.

ACC schools like their players acclimated to such an important venue. "That's why everybody's playing there," Williams said.

But the Terps have more immediate concerns than a tournament more than two months away.

Jordan Williams said the Terps need "to prove to everyone we can bounce back from a tough loss."