But for Maryland students and their hot-shooting basketball team, Comcast Center turned out to be the perfect place - and North Carolina the perfect victim - to spend a frigid Sunday afternoon.

Playing in front of an even more boisterous crowd than usual, the Terps (16-6, 6-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) continued their home-court success against conference foes by routing the Tar Heels, 92-71.

Maryland has won its four ACC games here by an average of 19 points.

The frenzied crowd included several thousand students who did not have tickets but lined up in the cold and were allowed in to fill the void left by fans who couldn't drive to the game because of treacherous roads.

The red-clad students - perhaps releasing pent-up energy from waiting out the snowstorm - did The Wave and chanted "NIT" at the Tar Heels, (13-10, 2-6) who have lost six of seven games.

"Loudest I've ever seen it since I was here," said senior guard Greivis Vasquez, who had 26 points and seemed to perpetually be finding open teammates with passes on Maryland fast breaks. He had 11 assists. More...