Maryland Women's Basketball: April 2006

Thursday, April 06, 2006

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!!!!

In case you haven't heard we won the National Title in Overtime after trailing by 13 in the second half. Also, I guess some 5'7 freshman hit a 3 with 6 seconds left over a 6'7 player and then two freshman scored the last 4 points for us. But oh, we are too young to win a National Title. Now it's time to repeat in Cleveland.

There are just way too many articles for me to post about this so I am going to provide you with a link to the website that should have a majority of them:
April 5th Stories
April 6th stories

Tuesday, April 04, 2006

Game #38 vs. Duke (National Championship)

The last game of the season, no matter what no one is playing again after tomorrow. Who would have thought this five months ago? Lucky for us it's a familiar opponent, yes one that has beaten us 14 of the last 15 tries, but we did take the last one. At this point (4 games this year and 7 in the last two years), we should know everything about Duke including how they smell and the illegal screens they set. No reason for me to preview them. There's a box full of hats and shirts at the arena that read Maryland National Champions, let's hope Duke never gets a chance to see theirs.

Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3

Keys to the Game

Rebound. It was a key in the Carolina game and it's the same in this game. Duke has a knack for getting offensive rebounds and those equal extra chances to score. Keep them off the glass and you can frustrate them.

Crystal needs to establish herself. Duke has done a great job of shutting her down this year and I don't see them changing that at this point. Crystal needs to get the ball and go strong and draw those fouls.

Other post players must step up. Harper was a great compliment to Lang on Sunday and she needs to do that again as well as Perry.

Outside shooting must improve. We haven't been shooting well from behind the arc since the SHU game and I think most of that is because we have been so post-orientated. Duke may double the post so that means Newman, Coleman, Toliver and Doron have to hit outside shots consistently. For some reason I see Newman making a bunch of 3s today.

Handle the pressure. Duke knows we turn the ball over when pressed so it's up to Toliver and Doron to handle the pressure accordingly and find the open passer.

Defend Harding. She killed us the first game with her driving, but since then she has stayed out on the perimeter. We need to keep her out there.

Defend Waner, Foley and Smith from 3. Role players usually step up in Championship games and we can't let them get going.

Force their posts away from the bucket. Black, Bass and Bales likes to sit in the paint and shoot lay up after lay up, we need to force them out and make them shoot jumpers and then of course grab the misses.

Make our free throws. Crystal's struggled the last two games as has Shay. Making free throws puts the game away.

Relax and have fun. It's just another game. I could tell we were relaxed yesterday during the press conferences as our players were all smiling and having fun, while Duke's players looked at it as a business trip.

Rebound.

Articles

San Jose Mercury News

Raleigh News&Observer

Raleigh News&Observer

Newsday

Monday, April 03, 2006

Terps Take Rubber Match, Advance to National Championship, 81-70

Here we sit, getting ready to play in the last game of the year after last night's 81-70 victory over the top overall seed North Carolina. That gives us 3 wins in four tries against the Heels and proves that our first win this year was not a fluke. Full credit goes to the coaching staff and the ladies for their effort last night. The goal was to hit the glass hard and the team did that. They even withstood the UNC runs and maintained their composure to pull out the victory. I am so proud of the team and to be honest I didn't think this would be the year we would make the title game. Now it's time to forget about it and get ready to win our second straight over Duke.

Game Story | Box Score | Quotes | Notes | Photo Gallery I | Photo Gallery II

Postives

Rebounding. We were down early, but in the second half it just looked like we wanted it more than them. We got almost every loose ball and kept them off the glass.

Harper. She's been playing great this tournament and once again she stepped up in the post to compliment Langhorne well. When will teams realize, you can't box out the whole team?

Coleman. 12 points, 14 rebounds, 7 assists in her first Final Four game? are you kidding me? I don't think she's nervous.

Langhorne. 16 points on 7-of-8 shooting in the first half. She couldn't be stopped all game and that allowed Harper to go crazy in the second half.

Toliver. I don't like the 12 turnovers, but she had I think 7 points in a crucial second half stretch including one step back three. She also played good enough defense on Latta to limit her offensive game.

Doron. She played an awful first 35 minutes, then something clicked and she took the ball to the hole to draw contact and hit that pull up 5-footer to essentially put the nail in the coffin.

Negatives

Turnovers. We won, but 26 is too many, although I don't think we had any down the stretch.

Foul shooting. We are starting to miss a bunch again, I don't like that.

Three-point shooting. Aside from Kristi, no one is shooting well from 3. Hopefully that all changes Tuesday.

Articles

San Jose Mercury News

The Diamondback

Sunday, April 02, 2006

Don't Cry For Me Carolina, You're Going Home Early

Outstanding all-around effort by the team and now we are one win from another Netlace!

Saturday, April 01, 2006

Game #37 vs. North Carolina (Final Four)

Well it's the rubber match with the right to go the NCAA Championship game. We have seen them twice this season so we know what to expect and know what to do to win. The first game involved several "clutch" baskets and great D down the stretch. The second game saw UNC take advantage of us being tired and in foul trouble to pull away at the end.
Game 1 Boxscore | Game 2 Boxscore

There's no reason for me to break down UNC like I do the other teams since nothing has really changed and we should all know our opponents.

Keys to the Game

REBOUND I will repeat it R E B O U N D. Brenda's put the message everywhere, I hope the team has gotten it and understands it's importance. We were destroyed in the boards in game 2 and that allowed UNC to get 2 and 3 chances. Controlling the glass limits UNC from running their break and also keeps them from setting up the trap.

Get Larkins in foul trouble. As much as everyone talks about Latta. Larkins is the key to the team because she's so big and strong that she can muscle her way inside. We must attack her defensively and make her sit on the bench when she doesn't want to.

Establish Langhorne and the post game. Carolina has length so if we can force them to drop down to help on Lang, Harper and Perry, it will leave open our shooters and give them a better look.

Shay must be relaxed. It's 2006 not 2004 she needs to know she doesn't have to do it all anymore. PLay loose and relax Shay and stop trying to draw fouls.

Slow down UNC's running. It's nearly impossible to stop them, but if we can slow them down and not allow transition baskets, we should be fine.

Have fun and relax. No reason to tense up, it's another bball game against a team we have played twice.

Stay out of foul trouble.

Coleman needs to play like a veteran and not a freshman.

Did I mention rebounding was a key?

Articles

Philadelphia Inquirer