Terps Tidbits For Friday

ESPN released its first Women's Bracket. Terps are seeded #2 in the Albuquerque Region with a first round match up vs. Bucknell.

Beth Mowins did a story on Shay and her influence on Israeli Basketball.

CSTV's Jennifer Garrison calls the Terps a spoiler for the title.

Three of the Terps have their own blogs now: Marissa | Shay | Crystal. Check them out, they are all good reads.

Terps Tidbits

The first bracket prediction is out and it has us seeded #4 and playing ODU in the first round. To get the bracket use the pull down menus at the top.

Dick Patrick at USA Today confirmed last week's rumor about Wiley-Gatewood in his column this week.

Under the Shell was on last night and although it wasn't as great as the first episode it was still a decent watch. Talked about the B.C. game, the holiday party and the Duke debacle. If you missed it go to the Under The Shell website or watch CSTV on Friday at 5 EST.

We're Still #6.

I guess it's good to have both your losses come at the hands of the #1 and #2 ranked teams in the country. We stayed 6th in both polls, but UConn is gaining on us.

In the SI Power Poll we are ranked 7th.

Rick Maese Covers the Terps

Baltimore Sun did a column on the game yesterday, but I didn't find it until today. It's a good read, hope you enjoy it.

Baltimore Sun's Rick Maese

Updating Next Year's Newest Terps

DeMauria Liles's team is now 13-3 and was recently featured in the Baltimore Sun

Emery Wallace played her first game of the season the other night and scored 9 points in limited time. Great to see her back on the court and hopefully will be ready by training camp next year.

Duke's D Stifles Maryland, 86-68

It's been nearly 30 hours and I still can't believe how bad we played in the first half. Things started so well when Bales and Williams got into foul trouble, but then Harding took over and Bales' replacement Chante Black showed again why she loves playing vs. Maryland with 9 quick points. By the time the first half was over we were down 17 and the game was essentially over. We made a nice run in the second half to cut it to 9 twice, but we were missing that one stop and/or basket to get the crowd back into the game. Give Duke a ton of credit. They limited Crystal's touches and held her to 0 (yes 0) rebounds and gave Shay fits at the point. We learned a lot yesterday and should be better prepared for the rematch on Feb. 13th.

Game Story | Box Score | Quotes

Positives (Yes, there were a few)

Looked like Toliver finally regained her legs and shot in the second half. If we can get her to 100% by the time we enter that tough stretch it will help a lot. She kept us in the game in the second half and prevented Duke from sagging off.

Jade Perry. Sometimes she shrinks in games like this, but in the second half I saw her fight for lose balls and also wasn't afraid to shoot over the taller Bales.

Rebounding. We lost the board battle, but only by 1 and that's impressive given Crystal's 0-fer.

Coleman's defense. She did a solid job shutting down Currie for most of the game until some questionable calls and fatigue got to her.

The Crowd. Any time we can get 16,000 people inside Comcast for the women it makes me happy. Let's see how many come back for FSU.

Negatives

Turnovers. 24 is too many against a team like Duke. Especially when we were forcing the ball to spots it would never fit.

Defense. We didn't box out Black at all and Harding had her way with Doron. I expected better play out of our veteran and was shocked that Newman and Doron didn't switch up.

Foul shooting. We missed too many and again Shay missed two.

Shay's play. She said before the game she was going to play loose and then once the game started she rushed shots and forced passes.

Articles

CNN/SI

Annapolis Capital

Diamondback

The Duke Chronicle

Washington Times

Baltimore Sun

Washington Post

Philadelphia Inquirer

Pictures

Official Site Photo Gallery

More Newspaper Previews of the Game

More articles to read to get ready for today's game.

Washington Post

Baltimore Sun

Game 16: Vs. Duke

Well this is the game we have been waiting over 10 months for. The Blue Devils come to Comcast undefeated and untested so far this season. They boast the nation's highest scoring team and block a ton of shots. In year's past, Maryland came into the game short-handed as they didn't have the same athletes as Duke. Three recruiting classes later and firepower at every position, Maryland sends its best team to the floor in its attempt to defeat Duke for the first time in 13 tries. Can we do it? Yes, but it won't be easy.

My keys to the game:

Match the defensive intensity we showed vs. MSU and UT. Duke is used to scoring at will, we need to show them it's not that easy.

Use pump fakes. Bales and Black are great at blocking shots and are the tallest duo we have played all season. We need to get them off their feet and get them in foul trouble to open the lane for Lang, Perry and Harper.

Will the old Toliver show up? Since he return to the line up Toliver has yet to make a shot from the field. We know she has it in her and hopefully tomorrow is the game where she recaptures the magic.

Handle Duke's press. Duke loves to press in order to jumpstart their offense. We can't get sucked in with their traps and make sure we spot the open people right away.

No slow starts. Against MSU and BC, we started slow and almost paid for it. Duke will make us pay for it.

Limit the turnovers. Scoring may be at a premium so we don't want to waste possessions.

I see a close game with the Terps coming away with the win in the final minutes.

Maryland Game Notes | Duke Game Notes

Hot Rumor Regarding a Former UT Player

According to someone on the UT Message Board, former Lady Vol Sade Wiley-Gatewood wants to transfer to either UNC or Maryland. Granted the source is someone who ran into her at a bar, so I take it all with a grain of salt. Now if she makes an appearance around Comcast soon, my view may change. She's got two weeks to make up her mind if she doesn't want to sit out a year and a half.

Gatewood to Maryland or NC Post

Getting Ready for the Blue Devils

As I am sure you all know, tomorrow is the big game vs. Duke. As of this morning we already have three previews and they are linked below as well as Brenda's look ahead to Sunday.

Baltimore Sun

Associated Press

UMTerps.com

Brenda's Preview

I will have my preview later today.

Terps Declaw Eagles in OT, 67-64

I have to say I much rather prefer the games that are over at halftime rather than the nailbiter we all endured tonight. After 45 minutes of play, we prevailed on the road over Boston College by the score of 67-64. It wasn't our best shooting night, but when the game was on the line we grabbed the key rebounds and made the shots we needed too. Last year I fear we would have lost this game. I know BC is ranked 19th, but they are tough to beat at home and any time you pick up a road ACC win, especially when Duke, UNC, Virginia Tech, NC State and Virginia are also featured on the road schedule, it's great for the team and the program.

Kudos to Shay, who struggled shooting for most of the game but with the game on the line nailed a three-pointer to give us a four point lead and then hit two free throws to basically seal the deal. Crystal also served notice that she's back and you better guard her. 24 points and 13 rebounds to lead everyone.

Game Story | Box Score

Positives

Our poise. Whenever we trailed, we answered and never let the game get out of reach.

Rebounding. We outrebounded them by 13, including 17 offensive rebounds, which is huge in close games.

Defense. We limited them to 32 percent from the floor.

Laura Harper. We needed a strong presence in the post tonight and she gave us that with 15 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 blocks.

Negatives

Turnovers. We had too many down the stretch.

Free throw shooting. We only had 13 shots and we have to do better than only making 8. Even Shay missed one.

Defending the three pointer. Our one weakness this year seems to be getting out on the open shooter. Dorsey shot 6 out of 10. We can't let the other team's shooter get good looks.

Our guards seem to struggle tonight and since I didn't see the game, I can't say if it was the BC defense or bad shooting.

Kristi. It's great having her back, we just need her to regain the confidence in her shot.

Around the League
Duke beat Florida State, 87-68
Miami beat Georgia Tech, 75-63

Articles

Boston Globe

Pictures

Game 15: @ Boston College

Now that the cupcakes are out of the way, it's time to get down to business and recapture the ACC crown. That all starts tonight in Boston vs. the BC Eagles. Just want to thank the ACC for letting us play a new member on its home court for the second straight season. I sometimes feel the ACC goes out of its way to make our schedule harder than it has to be.

This is a big test as we haven't really been challenged since November and B.C. recently beat Stanford. B.C. is 12-2 on the year with their two losses coming to UConn and Ohio State. We don't have any common opponents so I can't compare and contrast from that angle. Looking at their roster, they seem to match us on height, but they start a 6'4, 6'2 and 6'0 at the center and forward positions. Judging from the stats the offense is run through their post players as Queenan, Ress and Parham account for 35 of the team's 70 points. Dorsey comes across as a pur shooting guard as she has only taken nine free throws all year, which is low for someone who starts and plays 28 minutes per game. What really stands out is that they don't seem to block a ton of shots. Queenan is tied with Macchia for the team lead with 12, while Ress only has 5, which is low for a 6'4 player.

The Keys for Tonight

Will we come out with intensity? It's been a long time since we played a team with real skill so I hope we come out with focus and not act like this will be a cakewalk.

Neutralizing Queenan. I am assuming Crystal will take Queenan as she is prone to shoot the 3 ball and Jade may not be quick enough to keep up with her. Crystal will be basically guarding her mirror image so I hope she knows how to stop herself.

Don't let Marshall beat you. She reminds me of Anesia (based on the stats) because she doesn't score and looks primary to distribute the ball. We can't forget about her because you never know when she could go off.

Stay out of foul trouble and get them in foul trouble. They are averaging only 13 fouls per game so if we can get their posts in trouble early we may be able to seal the deal and get ready for Sunday.

No looking ahead to Sunday. (I can do that, I am not playing tonight)

The only options for tonight are GameTracker and WMUC Radio.

Maryland Game Notes

Final Score: Terps 86, Eagles 72

FullCourt.Com's ACC Positional Rankings

Rob Clough, who's part of the scout.com network, listed his ACC position-by-position rankings. If you have a Scout account and want to read the story go Here

I was able to get some of the text from the Duke board and as you can see below: Crystal is the #1 post, Marissa #3 at the wing and Shay #3 guard. Harper and Newman were on the also considered list.

Post:

1. Crystal Langhorne, Maryland (15 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 66% FG)
2. Erlana Larkins, UNC (10.1 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 66% FG, 2.6 spg, 1 bpg)
3. Mistie Williams, Duke (11.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 62% FG, 82% FT)
4. Tiffany Stansbury, N.C. State (15 ppg, 7 rpg, 59% FG, 1.9 bpg)
5. Brooke Queenan, BC (13.2 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 53% FG)


Wing:

1. Tamara James, Miami (20.8 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 56% FG, 85% FT, 46% 3FG, 3.1 spg)
2. Monique Currie, Duke (14.3 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 2.6 apg, 50% FG, 53% 3FG)
3. Marissa Coleman, Maryland (17.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 3.3 apg, 63% FG, 62% 3FG)
4. La'Tangela Atkinson, UNC (9.4 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 3 apg, 54% FG)
5. Billie McDowell, N.C. State (11.9 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 3.1 apg, 44% 3FG)


Guard:

1. Ivory Latta, UNC (16.9 ppg, 53% FG, 52% 3FG, 6.3 apg, 2.1 spg)
2. Lindsey Harding, Duke (10.8 ppg, 59% FG, 90% 3FG, 3.2 rpg, 4.6 apg)
3. Shay Doron, Maryland (15.4 ppg, 5.9 apg, 3.5 rpg, 2.1 spg, 42% 3FG)
4. Cotelia Bond-Young, Wake Forest (18.3 ppg, 35% 3FG, 4.7 apg, 4 rpg, 2 spg)
5. Abby Waner, Duke (12.2 ppg, 52% FG, 42% 3FG, 3.2 rpg, 4.2 apg, 2.8 spg)

Terps Article in Boston Globe

Great article in yesterday's Boston Globe regarding the Terps and how quickly they have grown into a powerhouse.

Maryland Rebuilding Job Is Far Ahead of Schedule

Under The Shell Debuts Tonight!!!

Looks like our favorite reality show kicks off tonight at 11 p.m. at Comcast SportsNet. If you don't have time to watch it or will be busy watching USC-Texas go to the official site of Under Shell and check out episode #1. I have seen the opening and a few clips and it looks great. Looking forward to another year of seeing what goes on behind the scenes and learning about the young ladies that make us proud.

Under The Shell Official Website

New Polls Come Out Terps Still 6th

One interesting point to notice in the AP Poll is that we somehow lost 5 points despite three solid wins last week.

Next week the polls should change and I hope it means we are moving up.

If you want a good laugh check out this post on RebKell's board: http://boards.rebkell.net/viewtopic.php?t=10130. According to this pilight person, we are a #7 seed while NC State and Va. Tech are 2 and 4, respectively.

Terp Related Items

Coleman Named ACC Rookie of the Week for the third time.

Terps Launch Under The Shell Website.

Future Terp DeMauria Liles was named to the Bojangles Shootout All-Tournament Team on Saturday. Earlier this year she was MVP of the Kreul Classic in Florida.

Our other future Terp Emery Wallace is still rehabbing a torn ACL.

Terps Win 9th Straight, Improve to 13-1

Missed another home game so I was forced to watch the game via the Gametracker and the video. Was very worried in the first half with a lot of easy misses and a score a lot closer than I anticipated. The second half was more to my liking as we won 82-49 and put five players in double figures. This ends our string of playing patsies for a while, although I hope we keep beating teams by 20+ points (Namely the Blue Devils on Sunday).

Game Story | Box Score | Quotes | Notes

Positives

We didn't let a poor first half get us down.

The return of Kristi Toliver. She struggled with her shot, but made some great passes and played 15 minutes. She can help spell Shay on Thursday until she gets back to full strength.

Held another opponent under 50 points.

Free Throw Shooting. When the shots aren't falling, the free throws better or we are in for a long night.

Negatives

19 Turnovers. I am just hoping for one game under 10 at this point.

Articles

Washington Post

Baltimore Sun

Pictures

Game #14: vs. Manhattan

Sorry about the lack of a recap for the Furman game, but I was busy with holiday/family functions so I was stuck going off the boxscore and articles. As I am sure you all read, we won big again. Crystal and Marissa were all Terrapin Classic and Shay was MVP. Turnovers look like they were down and we limited their scoring in the first half again. Everyone got at least one point, which is good and let us rest some players before this week.

Hopefully, today is another "rest" game as we play Manhattan at 7 p.m. Manhattan is undersized, which should result in another big block game as well as Crystal having her way with them.

I see us winning by between 30 and 40.

Maryland Game Notes

Mid-Season Report

Terps Vanquish Blue Devils, 94-57

Another laugher on the floor of the Comcast Center. Thank goodness game 1 went into overtime, otherwise most people would have missed the start of the game as the Terps led 23-2 at one point and from there it was all about working on our offensive sets. We led at halftime 51-16, which marked another half of us holding a team under 20 points. Angel even played in the first half.

Now it's on to play Furman, which survived a UMES run to win in overtime, 86-81.

Box Score | Game Story | Quotes

Positives

Unlike the previous games, we dominated from the start. CCSU scored a quick basket and then after that didn't score again for a while.

Crystal was back to normal. After two subpar shooting games, she made all nine shots, which matches a school record, and looked like the dominant player we all know and love.

Free Throw shooting. Drastically improved since the debacle in Fairfax.

Pressure defense. Our trap looks better and better each game. Now let's see how it works Jan. 5 in Boston.

Help defense. The ladies seem to be really understanding what the coaches are telling them about stepping in and over to prevent drives on picks.

Negatives

Turnovers. We are getting better, but there were a lot of tipped balls which could lead to steals against better teams.

The officiating. I realize we were up big, but this one ref kept calling fouls from the other side of the court.

Articles

Washington Post

Baltimore Sun

Pictures
Photo Gallery

Game #12: Central Connecticut State

The Terps return to action after a 7 day lay off to play the Blue Devils, nope not Duke, but Central Connecticut State (we have those other Blue Devils in 10 days). CCSU is 2-6 on the year and losers of 5 straight. Ironically, the only two games they have won all year were in Alaska at the Great Alaska Shootout. They did beat Arizona 69-65 in OT and that is the only common opponent.

They are basically a one-player team as Gabriella Guegbelet is averaging a double-double with 17.9 ppg and 11.8 rpg. She is also the team's tallest player at 6'. We should be able to control the boards and block a ton of shots. Look for Jade to put up another double-double and our post players to have their way with the smaller line up.

Some questions heading into the game:
1. Will Toliver play? It's getting close to ACC season and we don't need to be working out the kinks against B.C. on the road on Jan. 5.
2. Will we hold another opponent under 40 points? It would be the first time since the inaugural season that we have done this three straight times.

CCSU Game Notes | Maryland Game Notes

Remember the first game pits Furman vs. Maryland-Eastern Shore with the winner playing us tomorrow at 7.

New Polls are out and a Lady Terps Mention

Hope everyone had a great christmas break and are ready for back-to-back days of Lady Terps hoops. No real changes in the latest polls. We are still 6th in both, this time though we are no longer tied with Ohio State. Also, with the addition of Virginia Tech to the Top 25 this week, the ACC leads all conferences with 5 ranked teams.

In case you missed it George Soloman mentioned the team in his year end column, which can be read here.

Here is the excerpt:
"In College Park, Brenda Frese has coached the Maryland women to the No. 6 ranking in a turnaround that began only four years ago. The Terrapins won NCAA championships in men's soccer and women's field hockey."

Terps Rebel Against Patriots, 70-33

I didn't get to see the game as I had some last minute christmas shopping to do and then George Mason wanted $7 to watch the video so I listened to it on WMUC and watched the GameTracker. It was another ho-hum victory where we kept it close early on and then used a run to put it away. Angel got in the game with five minutes left and I think she has become our "human victory cigar"

A few notes:

No Toliver again, I hope this leg issue gets healthy by Jan. 5

Aurelie also missed the game to go spend time with her family in France.

Fewest points given up since Dec. 4, 1996

First time since 1975 with back-to-back games of holding the opponent under 40

Game Story | Box Score

Positives

More balanced scoring. Shay and Crystal were both held under 10 points, so Newman and Coleman took over. Newman matched a career-high with 21 points before leaving the game due to a hard foul. Coleman has become this year's super frosh finishing with 20 and 10 boards.

Defense. Anytime you hold a team under 50 its impressive, but under 35 even better. This has been back to back solid efforts on the defensive end, especially since the offense wasn't clicking.

Three-point shooting. Another game at 45%, which really helps when teams double-down on Crystal, Jade and Harper. What's even better is that when Newman goes cold then Shay or Marissa knock it down from behind the arc.

Negatives

Rebounding. Yes, we outrebounded them by 14, but it sounded like we let Mason get too many second and third opportunities. One possession they grabbed four straight (they missed all the shots, but Duke and B.C. won't miss). This was a small team and we should have come close to doubling them up.

Turnovers. Another game close to 20. I realize Toliver is out, but Shay has to take better control of the ball if she is going to play the point.

Free Throw Shooting. We gave away 14 points tonight. Hopefully this was just a mirage.

Articles

Washington Post

Baltimore Sun

Pictures

Terps Mentioned on the Tony Kornheiser Show

Don't know how many of you listen to SportsTalk980, but earlier today Pam Ward was on the program and began to talk to Tony about top women's programs and she mentioned Maryland. Tony said he knew about them and that they were ranked in the Top 10. He also asked about the Israeli girl (Shay to you and me) and Andy Pollin chimed in with her name.

this is a good sign. They may not talk about the team, but at least they know about us. Start calling the show and tell them thanks. Maybe we can get them to show up at a game this year.

Game #11 @ George Mason

Well it's been a while since we played a game (last Tuesday to be exact) so let's hope there is no rust as we take a rare trip to Fairfax, Va. to play the Patriots of George Mason. I expect a sparse crowd considering Mason hasn't drawn over 750 all year. We can all wave hi to C'Vette who is now sitting out the year after leaving us over the summer.

As far as Mason goes, they are 4-4 on the season with a win over Miami. They also beat Mount St. Mary's by 11. They are another small team with their biggest starter being 6'1. They have a 6'2 player who gets a lot of minutes, but aside from that their other two big people rarely play. They don't seem to shoot well from the floor, behind the arc or from the free throw line. We should handle this team like all the other non-conference teams.

The questions for the Terps tonight:

Will Ms. Toliver play or will she be held out again?

Will the lack of games affect the team?

How many players in double figures?

How many minutes will Crystal get?

If you are unable to make the game, like me possibly, you can either Listen or Watch

Maryland Game Notes | George Mason Game Notes

We're Number 6!

Like I stated last week, the OSU and Rutgers losses would help us out and they did as we moved up to 6th in the latest Associated Press Poll. Highest ranking since 1993.

Update: We are now tied for 6th in the Coaches Poll too.

Terps Featured in Capital Gazette

Here is the article in yesterday's paper: Capital Gazette

Good News, We're Moving Up

With Rutgers loss to unranked Ole Miss on Wednesday and LSU Thrasing OSU last night, the Terps should be ranked 6th when the polls come out next Monday and Tuesday. That's great for Brenda and company.

Also, let's start drumming up interest now for the Duke-Maryland game on the 8th. It could be the first Top 10 battle in Comcast in several years.

New Stat Rankings

The NCAA finally updated its stats through 12/12 and here is where we stand.

Team

1st in Scoring Offense

4th in Scoring Margin

2nd in FG Percentage

8th in Free Throw Percentage

2nd in Rebounding Margin

5th in 3FG Percentage

3rd in Assists per game

9th in Blocked Shots per game

Individuals

Langhorne, 2nd in FG percentage

Harper, 8th in blocked shots per game

Coleman, 15th in FG percentage

Doron, 15th in Assists per game

For the complete rankings go here:
Stat Rankings

More Articles

Some More Articles covering the game and Crystal

Capital Gazette

USA Today

Burlington Times

Terps Move Up to 8th in SI Power Poll

Slowly Making Progress

Terps Clip Eagles Wings, 69 -38

Well it wasn't pretty and it wasn't the offensive output I was expecting by the Terps beat another team by 30 and improved to 9-1 last night. Coppin State seemed content with not getting run out of the gym so they dribbled down the shot clock and then ran their offense. This limited our possessions and as a result limited our scoring opportunities. Another night of four players in double figures, except Crystal ended her streak.

The ladies seemed hesitant against Coppin's zone and had stupid turnovers again. Brenda and Marissa said the team is working on it, but we don't what that killing us come Jan. 5 in Boston. We need to work on the press better or apply it quicker. When it was on, Coppin turned the ball over right away. Don't know why we didn't keep it on the whole game. Also, as dominant as Crystal is she needs to learn how to pump fake. She gets blocked too easily against weaker opponents.

Other than that I was pleased with the effort we put forth on the defensive end and how we attacked the glass.

Kalika and Kristi didn't play. Kristi was dressed to play, Kalika wasn't.

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

Articles
Baltimore Sun

Pictures

Terps Articles

Two articles today, both good reads.

Where are the fans?

Rounding Out Her Game

Game #10 - Coppin State

Today is 80's night at Comcast, so dust of those clothes from your youth and remember the days of big hair bands and denim everything. Looking at the ridiculous costumes will probably be more entertaining than tonight's game. Coppin State, who made the tournament last year, is 1-3 and they lost to Xavier by 40 (we beat Xavier by 30+). They have two 6'3 players and the rest are 6 feet or shorter. Last year we won by 32 at home, this year I am hoping we score at least 122.

I doubt we will see Toliver tonight, unless her leg problem has gotten better.

Maryland Game Notes

Terps in the National Rankings

#1 in Scoring - 94.0 ppg
#4 in Scoring Margin - 31.6
#2 in Field Goal Percentage - 52.4 (Duke is #1 at 54.1)
#2 in Rebounding Margin - 18.6
#4 in Assists per game - 20.7
#7 in Blocked Shots per game - 6.4

Crystal is #1 in FG% - 77.2

Stats Rankings

Terps Make the Front of Yahoo Sports

Check this out: http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaw

Terps Move Up to 8th in the Associated Press Poll

Thanks to UNC's win over UConn last monday, the Terps move up to 8th in the latest AP poll. Don't have the actual poll yet just the story. Highest ranking since Jan 2 1993.

Marissa Named ACC Rookie of the Week

Second time this year for our leading scorer. Not bad for someone who comes off the bench. She also went 6-7 from 3-point land this week. I think she has regained the grove that made her the one of the most sought after players last year.

http://theacc.collegesports.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/121205aae.html

Articles About the Game

Baltimore Sun
Washington Post
The Diamondback

Terps Win 92-67!

Well it was hairy at the start as Arizona hung with us in the first half using an othrodox four guard line up. They kept the ball out of the post and when we got it down low we missed shots. Finally, we clamped down on defense and hit outside shots and before you knew we scored the last 17 points before the half and led 46-27. At that point the game was over. We hit 8 of 9 three pointers in the first half and at that point the Wildcats had to spread out the zone and stop our shooters. In the second half we went inside and answered their runs with runs of our own.

Once again we went over 90 (the most Arizona gave up all year) and had 6 players in double figures. Shay and Crystal had double-doubles.

Toliver played for about 5 minutes scored her points and then came out. She was wearing braces around her calves and limped off the court. I think she will be fine, but she needs her rest.

Once again too many turnovers.

Game Story | Box Score | Quotes | Notes

Game #9 - vs. Arizona

After 3 games against relatively easy opponents, Maryland faces a tougher challenge with the Arizona Wildcats coming to town. Arizona is 4-2 and went to the NCAA Tournament last year. They are also looking to avenge last year's OT loss to Maryland at their place. You may remember that this was the game where Jade banked in a jumper at the buzzer to send the game to OT.

Arizona really hasn't played anyone this season except for Utah and they lost that game. They also don't have much height and they are still reeling from the death of All-American center Shawntinice Polk earlier this year. She added an extra dimension to the team as she towered over most teams. Now we will see what they bring to the table.

The Wildcats may unveil their freshman point guard tomorrow who was just cleared by the NCAA. We have no scouting report on her so I hope the coaches are ready.

Arizona is also Brenda's alma mater.

The questions for Maryland are:
1. Will this team be ready to play decent competition for the first time since Tennessee?
2. Will everyone that dresses play or are players still resting?

Maryland Game Notes | Arizona Game Notes

Tomorrow is FREE RADIO day!

Crystal Named USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year

After leading the U.S Under 19 team to an 8-0 record and gold medal, Crystal (who we all know was the best frosh last year) was named the USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year. This a great accomplishment for her as well as the team. Hopefully now the media will pick up on this and give the team the respect they deserve.


Complete Release

Under-19 Team Named USA Team of the Year - Coleman and Langhorne were both members of this team.


Crystal is now eligible for the USOC Female of the Year award, while the team is up for USOC Team of the Year.

Articles

The first one is about the game, the second about our favorite #1.

Philly Burbs

The Diamondback

Terps Win, 88-55

While the score states we won by 33, it wasn't that easy. The Terps trailed midway through the first half before turning it on and leading by 11 at the half. I take it Brenda gave them a colorful speech at halftime (I doubt that will be making Under the Shell) because the second half saw them score 50 points, while Monmouth only scored 28.

I couldn't listen to or watch the game since Monmouth still hasn't adopted 90's technology.

From the boxscore I see we only had three people in double figures (first time all year), Toliver didn't play (must be her turn to rest), Shay had a double-double, Crystal had 20 points in 21 minutes and Jade had 11 rebounds. Everyone who dressed scored at least 2. Also Charmaine got her first start since freshman year I think.

Box Score | Game Story

Positives

Outrebounded them by 22

Missed only three free throws

50% from 3.

7 blocks, 4 by Coleman.

Negatives

21 turnovers.

Game #8 - @ Monmouth

I don't know why we are playing Monmouth in New Jersey tomorrow. Maybe we are doing it for Crystal (coaches like to let the kids play at least one game near their homes during their career). Other than that, it's a shame to go on the road and play a team we know we are going to beat bad.

They are 1-4, don't have much height and are averaging 56.4 points per game.
Monmouth Stats


Maryland Game Notes

Terps in the Polls

Thanks to the Tar Heels demolition of the Huskies last night the Terps moved up to 8th in the latest Coaches Poll, probably the highest since 1992-93. The AP Poll came out yesterday hence why we didn't move up in that one.

Terps in the New York Times

The Times did a feature on women's college basketball this weekend and mentioned us as a team to watch out for. Check it out here

Terps Mentioned on ESPN2 on Monday

Don't know how many of you out there were scouting Carolina on Monday (I was and damn they looked fast), but at halftime they were talking about Tennessee and of course the Terps came up. Stacy Dales-Schumann talked about Maryland and then focused on Crystal (with some highlights) about how great of a finisher she was. She also mentioned how Lang has a "radar for the ball" The last line she credited to someone named Natalie, who I can't find on the roster or staff. Maybe she's the one who keeps us all updated at umterps.com.

Terps Run Roughshod Over the Mount, 102-53.

These games really aren't fair anymore. I think Brenda should play 4 on 5. I mean hell we used only 7 yesterday. Crystal had 30 and 10 in 21 minutes, while Jade posted her second straight double-double. Shay scored 18 and Ashliegh chipped in with 10. 3rd game this year over 100. All these blowouts have given more time to Angel, Charmaine and Aurelie, which will be good if we need them during ACC season. The odd thing is usually teams get to evaluate young players in blowouts and we are checking out players that will be gone in 6 months (aside from Aurelie)

Box Score | Game Story | Quotes | Notes

My Notes

Coleman, Harper and France didn't play. Toliver played only 1 minute in the second half. Either we are taking it easy because of minor injuries or Brenda's pissed at a few players.

Angel Ross was the only player who didn't score

Positives

We came out strong early and slammed on the gas to put this game away early.

Crystal shot 10-of-11 from the floor and it wasn't all layups.

Jade once again stepped up and controlled the glass. These games will give her confidence down the line when Harper or Langhorne are in foul trouble.

Defense is getting better. We held them to 53 points.

Negatives

Still too many turnovers. Many of them forced or stupid. No reason to have more than 10 TOs against a team like this.

Defense. We let them get by way too easy and didn't box out against a smaller team.

Articles

The Diamondback

Washington Post

Baltimore Sun

Pictures

"Terps making their way to the doorstep"

So says the San Francisco Chronicle

Here's the blurb:
Maryland: The Terrapins are a team on the rise with two standouts in guard Shay Doron and forward Crystal Langhorne, the ACC Rookie of the Year last season.

Articles About Yesterday's Game

It's good to see that the Sun and Post both had writers there, now if we can only get the Times and Annapolis Capital to make appearances.

The Diamondback

Washington Post

Baltimore Sun

Terps Destroy Mountaineers 118-59

Wasn't really a game after the ball was tipped. Terps scored the first 6 let Appy State score then Maryland answered and so it went until UM finally blew it open midway through the first half. By the time the second half rolled around, Angel, Charmaine and Auriele were looking to increase their scoring averages. 6 players in double figures (all scoring 16 or more), 3 players with double-doubles (Jade, Kristi and Marissa) and three points away from breaking the school record for points in a game. Jade took over as Crystal rested and Harper sat out (for precautionary reasons nothing more) and had a career-high 16 points and 16 rebounds. Just one note on how bad the game was: Maryland didn't have to score in the second half and they still would have won by 7.

Some Notes

Angel saw her first action of the season

Kalika was in street clothes again. I wonder if she is just being rested for ACC games.

Game Story | Box Score | Quotes | Notes

Positives

Balanced Scoring Attack.

Jade picking up the slack.

Outrebounding another team by 30.

Winning by 59 (last year we beat them by 20)

Toliver and Coleman's double-doubles

Negatives

Turnovers. We had 17 of them that's fine against a bad team, not good against a good team. The only good sign is that 12 of them were by the frosh so I chalk that up to still getting adjusted to the college game.

Defense. Yep we only gave up 59, but they had open looks some of the time. We should have held them to under 45. Also the zone defense looked bad (at the same time, the regulars weren't in the game)

The Marketing Department. The Box score says there were 2200 people there. It was more like 1000. That's a pathetic effort for a team ranked in the Top 10. Someone over there better get their act together. They are bringing our attendance numbers down.

Pictures

Game #6: Appalachian State

The Terps are back home for the first of two games beginning tonight with a clash against the Mountaineers of Appalachian State. They went 11-14 a year ago and are 1-2 this year after losing to Georgia Tech over the weekend, 68-45. Their site doesn't have updated stats, so I have no idea who the best player is. Read About Appy State

Last year we beat them 94-74 using a late run to seal the game. I don't expect it to be that close this year. They have one girl at 6'3 and she's a freshman. Expect to see plenty of Angel (if she's healthy), Aurelie and Charmaine tonight.


Maryland Game Notes

Terps in the News

Here are some more articles that mention the Terps or recap the UT game.

Boston Globe

Safsal

Virgin Islands Daily News

The Diamondback

Terps Up to 9th in the Coaches Poll

The coaches didn't punish us for that loss against UT and moved us to 9th in the country. First time since 1993 we have been ranked that high.

Official Release | Official Poll

Terps Move Up to 9th in SI Power Rankings

It looks like Tracy Schultz was impressed with us last week, but not impressed to move us into the top 8 of her Power Rankings. The Terps sit at ninth and here is what she had to say:

The Terrapins proved they can compete with the top teams, playing Tennessee close before losing in the Paradise Jam final, 80-75, on Saturday. If the early trend continues, Maryland may be one of the most balanced teams in the country. Five players are averaging double figures on offense, including Shay Doron and Marissa Coleman, who lead the team with 16 points a game.

My one beef with this poll is that she claims Tennessee has beaten it's first five opponents so badly. Last time I checked, UT was lucky to come out of that game with a win.

Terps move up to 9th in AP Poll

After a 2-1 week which saw us come within five seconds of knocking off Tennessee. The Terps moved up one slot to 9th in the AP poll. This is what I expected considering no one else in the Top 8 has a loss and the voters aren't going to place a one-loss team ahead of undefeated teams just yet.

This is our highest ranking since Feb. 9, 1993.

Story | AP Poll

Terps Sweep ACC POW Awards

Langhorne and Coleman take home Player of the Week and Rookie of the Week awards, respectively.

In two weeks, Maryland has taken 3 of the 4 weekly awards, narrowly missing out on back-to-back sweeps.

Can the Terps do it again next week? All depends on how much they smash Appy St. and the Mount.

More Follow Up to the UT game

The Knoxville News-Sentinel wrote another article about the game and how it was a wake up call for UT. My favorite part of the piece was this:

"There's no reason why we didn't rebound," Parker said after the Maryland game. "There's no excuse, in that game, for me to only have eight rebounds.''

Nice thought but Tennessee also needed more from centers Tye'sha Fluker and Nicky Anosike, who combined for six points and four rebounds against the Terrapins. Their production barely exceeded their nine combined fouls. They were eclipsed totally by Maryland's powerful post duo of Crystal Langhorne and Laura Harper (32 points, 23 rebounds).

Just remember that Fluker and Anosike are both 6'5, while Harp and Lang are 6'4 and 6'2 respectively.

Terps Lose 80-75 :(

I know it's two days later, but it has taken that long (plus travel and lack of the internet) to get over this loss. We had them. It was our ball with 5 seconds left and we threw it away. I was so proud of the ladies, but at the same time disappointed in the outcome. This team has come so far in three years and never would have guessed it. Coach Frese outcoached Summitt and outclassed her.

Box Score | Game Story

Postives

We proved we belong. This week was going to be a big test for us and i think we got an A. We came back against MSU and then trounced them. UT went up big and we came back and were one possession away from taking a win. If we drop in the polls this week, I will be pissed.

Rebounding. UT has three players at 6'4 or taller and we outrebounded them by double-digits. Crystal, Harp and Jady were amazing and even Pat credited them after the game.

Scoring. Another game, another five players in double figures. Shay only had 10 and we were still in the game. What a difference a year and healthy bodies make.

Defense. yes we gave up 80 points, but we locked down when we needed to and limited their scoring chances. Parker had 11 points in 5 minutes and then 8 the rest of the way. Zolman shot 1-of-9 from 3-point land.

Langhorne. She proved she was one of the best players in the country with 19 points and 12 rebounds. UT had no answer for her.

Negatives

Turnovers. We committed 24, 13-14 of which were unforced. We can play sloppy against the bad teams, but not against these kinds of teams. Several outlet passes were intercepted at critical moments and that can't happen in Feb or March.

Officiating. I thought Duke got a bunch of calls, but UT takes the cake. Summitt can walk over half-court to yell at refs, but no T. Zolman can extend her arm to create space, no foul. We got some calls, but UT got the calls when it mattered, especially a suspect over and back call when Coleman never really had possession of the ball.

Toliver's foul trouble. She picked up two cheap fouls in the first half and had to sit for the second game in a row. This needs to be fixed in the future as we can't afford to have her sitting and playing tentative throughout the game.

Articles
Knoxville News-Sentinel

Game #5: Terps vs. Lady Vols

This one is for the Paradise Jam title. It also will further show if we belong in the national title talk or if we are more Sweet 16 material.

Tennessee is also 4-0 and is playing their fifth game in 7 days. They didn't have such an easy game yesterday so let's hope their legs are tired. Let's hope we are rested too. Shay had to log a ton of minutes yesterday, but Toliver and Lang should be well rested after being in foul trouble in the first half.

The key to winning this game is defense and passing. UT loves to press full court and trap. If we can pass out of double teams and get the ball in the front court early to set up our offense we should do well. We also have to limit Parker as she is very athletic and loves to roam. UT can shoot it from outside, but so can we. Lastly, we need to take it to them early like against UNC last year and not fall behind like we did vs. MSU. MSU only has a few weapons while UT has people at every position that can score. One extra thing, UT's second string tends to get lazy and give up easy buckets.

If we keep it close until the final four minutes I see us coming away with the victory.

Terps Win 75-61!

Well, this one wasn't as easy as the first 3. We struggled early on and MSU looked to be firing on all cylinders. I was worried we were going to get run out of the gym. MSU's zone confused the hell out of us and we couldn't find a way to get the ball inside to Crystal, Jade and Harp. Coach B called a timeout and settled the troops and before you knew we inched our way back into the game. We ran a modified three-man weave, before either settling for a jumper or passing in the low post. It also didn't help that Toliver and Crystal were in early four trouble and sat out most of the first half. At halftime the score was 33-29, which is way better then it could have been.

The second half was a different story. We knew we were the better team and asserted it early, by scoring 5 quick points to take the lead. MSU answered, but we matched them and then it was shot for shot until Shay buried a 3 from the right wing to give us the lead for good. Down the stretch we didn't score a bucket, but made all 10 of our free throws to seal the deal.

This was a great win and proves that we belong in the Top 10. Tomorrow becomes the key test as we face top-ranked and yearly Final Four participant, Tennessee.

Box Score | Game Story

Positives

Resiliency. Despite struggling with our shot, we didn't give up and continue to fight, which in the end resulted in us winning the game.

Depth. With Toliver and Lang in foul trouble, Marissa and Jade had to play extended minutes and it resulted in them keeping us in the game. The story indicates that Marissa scored 11 points in a row at one point. Also, we had five-players in double figures again.

Crystal's rebounding. The girl is a beast when she wants the ball. Late in the second half she was going up there and grabbing the ball with authority. Then she swings her elbows around to clear out some room and we are off and running.

Shay's decision making. Shay had to play the point with Kristi out and she did a great job. She looked for the open person and even passed up a shot (yes, I know, I was shocked as well).

Our defense. Instead of turning this into a scoring fest, the team locked down on D and forced MSU to take stupid shots or contested ones. The Spartans only shot 26.5% in the second half.

Free Throw Shooting Down the Stretch. We aren't the best free throw shooting team, but to make all 10 down the stretch lets teams know they are going to have to do more than foul us near the end of games.

Negatives

Shay's Free Throw shooting. She missed five of them. Yes five. She used to be automatic from the line but this year she is missing at least one a game. That needs to change quickly and I am sure it will.

Quick Shots. Several times we would come down the court and not get into our offense and just fire up shots. This results in missed rebounds and let's the team back in the game. Usually when we are on a roll we want to put the final nail in the coffin so we take a quick shot, but we need to settle down and get the best shot.

Foul trouble. We keep picking up ticky tack fouls early in the first half, which forces us to go to the bench early. Fortunately, we have other scorers on the bench, but we don't need to be taken out of our rhythm right away.

Pictures

Game #4: Terps Vs. Michigan State

For the first time all season, the Terps will have to play on back-to-back days and it's against Michigan State, NCAA finalists from a year ago. Michigan State is coming off a 28-point drubbing by the hands of Tennessee last night in round 1 of the Paradise Jam. They are led by Liz Shimek and Lindsay Bowen, both of whom scored over 1,000 points in their careers. This team is full of fighters as demonstrated in their 16-point comeback vs. UT in last year's National Seminfinals. Last night they kept it close for a while, before one last UT run broke their backs.

They didn't look that tall last night and if Maryland can play the way they have the first three games, they will come out on top, maybe by at least 10. This is a big test for the team as they have to play with passion and not in awe of a team they should be able to beat. We lucked out with the big win last night as several of the key players were able to rest for most of the second half.

Maryland Game Notes | Live Webcast of the Game

Terps Win 88-50!

Another game, another blow out for the Terps. Like in the Siena game, the Terps came out fast and put the game away by halftime. Maryland was up 9-0 before Gonzaga scored and then increased that lead to 26-5 midway through the first half. The Bulldogs looked to be a little "shell-shocked" early and couldn't match our speed and toughness. This is a great win over a team that is a consistent top team in the WCC.

Box Score | Story | Pictures

Positives

Everyone scored again. 3 games and everyone has scored a bucket. This builds confidence in case the last few off the bench are needed during critical moments.

The starters rested. We were up by so much, that Shay, Crystal, Kristi and Ashleigh were able to rest up for the two big games.

Rebouding. We boxed out again and won the battle of the boards by 20+. Controlling the boards keeps the other team from scoring.

We passed out of double and triple teams well, another good sign that Harper, Lang and Jade are maturing.

Coleman leads the team in scoring. Seeing extended minutes for the first time this year, Coleman showed why she was one of the mosst sought after recruits. She controlled the tempo, went to hole and shot the three. I was impressed.

Negatives

Harper got hurt. She hustled after a loose ball and ran into a railing and was down for about 5 minutes. She got up, limped over to the bench and then applied an ice pack to her neck. I hope she is able to go against MSU.

Turnovers. A bunch of mental mistakes and ill-timed passes aren't going to help later in the season, but since we were up by so much they can be excused for today.

Game #3: Terps vs. Bulldogs

While most of you will be digesting your turkey, cranberry sauce, mash potatoes and stuffing, the Terps will be getting ready for their first game here in St. Thomas vs. the Bulldogs of Gonzaga. Be Sure to watch us on TV, either on Comcast SportsNet or Fox Sports Net at 6 p.m. ET

Gonzaga won the West Coast Conference regular-season title last year, but lost in their conference tournament so just missed out on going to the Big Dance. They are one of the quality mid-major programs in the country and they should gives us quite the battle tonight. I still see us coming out on top by double figures. We also have to avenge the loss by our men the other night!

Maryland Game Notes | Gonzaga Game Notes

Terps in St. Thomas

The team officially got here yesterday and I have seen them walking around the hotel (You think I would miss the biggest tournament of the year?) and they look ready to go. They were playing in the pool yesterday and looked to be going out on a boat this afternoon.

Tomorrow they get down to business and start the year 3-0.

Click Here to Read About the Trip

Terps Ranked #10!

For the first time since the 1992-93 season, the Terrapins are ranked 10th in both the Coaches Poll and AP Poll. It's amazing what Brenda has done in four years. Of course this could be all for naught by Saturday if we get humbled. I don't think we will be and I expect to still be ranked in the top 10 come next week.

Official Release

Shay Wins ACC Player of the Week

Coming off back-to-back 23-point outings and scoring her 1,000th career point, Shay has been named the ACC Player of the Week for the first time this season and third overall.
It's good to start the season off on a high note.

Abby Waner of Duke won Rookie of the Week mostly in part to her outstanding field goal percentage. Had it not been for that, I think Toliver had a chance to make it a sweep.

Official Release

Terps Win Again 93-68

Well it looked hairy in the beginning as Xavier jumped out to a 10-6 lead, but then 19 points later, the Terps were up by 15 and never looked back. Shay scored her 1,000th career point early in the first half and was one of four players in double figures as the team now heads to the Virgin Islands to play Gonzaga, Michigan State and Tennessee. This three-game adventure should give us a strong indication of whether we deserved to be ranked this high. I am looking for at least a 2-1 trip.

Game Story | Box Score | Quotes | Notes

Positives

Another solid offensive effort. Any time you score over 90 against a team that has been battle tested it's a great sign.

24 assists on 38 baskets is great.

outrebounded another opponent by 20 with 5 people grabbing at least 5

another team effort. Everyone who dressed scored and grabbed at least two rebounds.

Shot over 50% again

made 70% of our free throws, which shows progress from the exhibition and season opener.

We made stops when we needed to and answered their runs with a run of our own.

Negatives

The help defense wasn't that great as Xavier made a ton of easy lay ups in the second half. I am sure the coaching staff will work on this.

Once again 10+ turnovers. This will not work against the top teams.

We seemed to fall out of rhythym at certain points and just go down the court and shoot the ball. Luckily Brenda corrected this problem right away.

Articles

Washington Post

The Diamondback

Game #2: Vs. Xavier

A little less than 48 hours after their dismantling of Siena, the Terps hit the floor for their home opener against Xavier. Last year, the Terps won 74-72 as Xavier had a chance to tie the game on their final possession. Kalika had 21 and Lang had a double-double.

Xavier is coming off their own 40-point win as they defeated Coppin State 86-46 on Friday night in Baltimore. The roster looks small as their tallest girl is 6-2.

Xavier Game Notes | Maryland Game Notes

Terps Win 107-66

Sorry for the late recap, but I was busy with some other things.

As I am sure you already found out the Terps demolished Siena in front of their largest crowd ever. The Terps led by 29 at half and won by 41. 6 Terps in double figures led by Shay's 23. Crystal resumed her double-double output with 13 and 10. She also added five assists. Coleman, Harper, Toliver and Newman were the others in double figures. Shay also had 7 assists.

It looks like Kalika and Angel were held out of the game.

Since I didn't see the game live, I can only base my views off the game stories and play-by-play.

Positives

We scored 107 points against a team that only gave up over 65 four times last year.

6 players in double figures. Teams just can't shut down Shay and Lang.

We put them away. Sounded like Siena made a run at the end of the half and to start the second and we stopped it quickly and answered.

Outrebounded them by 22, last year they outrebounded us by 3.

Shot over 65% from the field.

Negatives

Too many turnovers. 19 is too many against a team like Siena

Giving up 66 points. Yes we scored 107, but we should have held them to fewer.

Box Score | Game Story |

Articles About the Game

Albany Times-Union

Albany Times-Union

All ACC Teams Get Underway

Today officially marks the start of the 2005-06 season for a great majority of the teams in the nation. 10 ACC teams are in action. Boston College participated in the Preason WNIT and beat Drexel (51-44) and Richmond (62-51) before losing to UConn (60-46). The Eagles are off until the 23rd.

Some interesting games tonight:
Duke at Penn State - this should be a blowout. Forget the fact that Duke is ranked No. 1 in one of the polls, Nittany Lion head coach Rene Portland is in the midst of a media nightmare after a former player claimed she was discriminated against by Portland because Portland perceived the player was gay. The Lions also have no depth after Portland kicked four players off the team after a first-round NCAA Tournament loss to Liberty in College Park.

Virginia at George Washington - GW is a decent team who has been ranked in the top 25 for a few years now. Last year they advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Virginia has Sharnee Zoll who played with Langhorne and Coleman on the U21 team this summer.

Also on tap tonight:
Tennessee Tech at Clemson - Tigers have already played two games this season at AZ St.

Georgia Southern at FSU, Georgia Tech at UAB, Samford at Miami, Davidson at UNC, UNC Greensboro at NC State, and Mercer at Wake.

Season Starts Today!

Season's finally getting underway. Siena coach Gina Castelli guaranteed a win against the nationally-ranked Terps.

At home, the Baltimore Sun previews the team. The Terps are itching to get on the court and win. They're looking to prove they're just as good, if not better, than the preseason rankings indicate.

Also, the Sun previews all the Div. I teams in the state, including 2005-06 opponents Mount St. Mary's, Coppin State and Maryland.

Tomorrow is GameDay!!!

The March to Boston starts tomorrow vs. Siena. The Saints went 12-15 last year and finished 9-9 in the MAAC. They had been a constant performer in the postseason until last year and normally play a tough out of conference schedule. Read About the Team Here

A lot of festivities planned for their home opener.
1. Jump5 Concert After the Game
2. Siena to Honor the Past at Halftime
3. Extra Parking Added for the Game

The Maryland preview is here.

More Terps Tidbits

ESPN2 Releases Women's College Basketball Schedule - Terps at Duke only game on the network this year.

Minnesota Star-Tribune Picks Us 10th They take a little pot shot at Brenda, but we expect that by now.

USA Today Talks About Under the Shell - Old story but good to have national attention.

Also Sports Illustrated picked us 8th, but there is no link because the site doesn't even have a page devoted to women's hoops. The blurb mentioned Brenda's marriage, the youth on the team and Crystal's dedication.

Terps Stay at 14 in Coaches Poll

Didn't expect their to be much change with only a few games scheduled and the State Farm game featuring all teams ranked ahead of us.

We did pick up 72 points though!

More Terp Coverage in the Media

First, Stacey Dales-Schumann picked us as one of her teams to watch (who could be this year's Baylor) during halftime of the Georgia-Baylor game. She wants everyone to remember the name Laura Harper.

Second, Doris Burke gave us a shout-out during the LSU-Texas Tech game.

Third, Charlie Creme picked us 13th in his preseason Field of 64.

Season Opener just a few days away!!!!

Terps Win 87-75

The game wasn't as close as the score indicates. Maryland had a double-digit lead for most of the game and the only time EA got close the Terps went on a mini-run to extend the lead back to double-digits. Here are the links to the story, box score and quotes from Brenda.

Story | Box Score | Quotes

First for the positives

We scored 87 points and both Shay and Lang were held under 10 points each

Toliver can shoot the ball (5-of-9 from 3pt land) meaning the days of sagging off our point guard are over.

When we want to, we can play solid defense. EA Sports had only two points until about the 15-minute mark. We also had quick hands with a bunch of deflections.

Shay has become a lot less selfish. Don't know if it had to do with the bandage on her hand, but she seemed to be looking for her teammates more resulting in a game-high 6 assists.

Harper is definitely going to make a huge difference this year if she and Lang can play together. She grabbed 16 boards and had 4 blocks (which I think was the most we had all year). She may have been rusty, it was her first game in 11 months, but she attacked the glass which will help Langhorne.

Langhorne still has that killer first step and looks like she developed a mid-range jumper.

We have depth. I liked that Harper and Coleman came off the bench as it added some spark and gives a different look to teams. Also when we got into foul trouble, we had more bodies on the bench to go to who can score.

Coleman is going to create match up problems for the opposing teams. She's tall and can handle the ball (She had 5 assists). She's not afraid to look for her shot, although she was short with it tonight (I think it could be nerves) if she gets hot, look out. Plus, Brenda can play her at the 2 and Shay at the point with Lang and Harper downlow to give teams fits.

The Negatives

Free Throw shooting was awful. We shot 38.9% from the line with our post players going 4-for-12. That's not going to fly if we want to win the ACC.

The rebounding. It was tied 47-47, but we should have easily grabbed 55. People forgot to box out and were sometimes out of position. Our guards need to be more active on the glass.

Conditioning. I realize this was the first game real action, but we look gassed at the end of the game. EA Sports looked to be outhustling us and that allowed them to get back in the game.

Overall, I thought we played well and could be a major force if our free throw shooting and rebounding gets better. This team wasn't that tall and we all know Duke has those giants underneath. The defense looked better and now that we have scoring options at every spot on the floor, it's going to be hard to double Shay or Lang.

Terps Kick Off the Preseason Tomorrow Night at 6

Tomorrow's our first and only chance to preview the upcoming season as the Terps take on EA Sports at 6 in Comcast. Official Preview

Some questions to answer
1) How will Harper look after nearly a year off?
2) How will Toliver look at the point?
3) Will Coleman beat out Kalika for the last starting spot or is Coleman more effective off the bench?


Check back tomorrow after the game for a complete recap.

Today's Articles

Winston-Salem Journal

Roanoke Times

Virginia Pilot - This article has a huge mistake in it.

Daily Progress

The Diamondback - The headline writer is an idiot.

More Terps in the Press

Mel Greenberg, the man who started the women's AP Poll, wrote his preview article for the Philly Inquirer today and mentioned Maryland as a powerhouse as well as Harp and Lang.

Read it Here

Also the Charlotte Observer did a 10 Questions about the upcoming season piece and Maryland was mentioned as one of two teams that could stop Duke from winning the ACC.
Read it Here

Coleman Named One of ESPN's Top Frosh

Superfrosh Marissa Coleman was named as one of ESPN's Top Frosh to watch by Nancy Lieberman. Plus, she also got her photo on the front page of the women's basketball site Check it Out Here

Top Frosh

Liles and Wallace Sign With Terps For 2006

Brenda went out and got two more local kids to play for the Terps beginning next year. While they may lack the starpower of the previous two classes, they are still solid gets for Frese and she still has a few more scholarship offers out there. For those wondering about Danielle Wilson, she opted for Baylor because they were more willing to open up a scholarship for her HS teammate and BFF.(Read this on a Maryland message board)

Liles and Wallace will give us even more depth to the frontcourt and allow Lang and Harp to rest more during the early part of the season

Complete Release on Signees

Liles

Another Article

This one talks about how Duke and UNC will battle it out for the title again, but not to count out the Terps.

Full Article Here

Atlanta Journal-Constitution Picks Terps 18th

Kind of low if you ask me. Here's what he had to say:

18. Maryland. The Terps started to attract attention after upsetting North Carolina and losing by three to Duke. The top five players, including guard Shay Doron, are back.

Read Story Here

Shay and Crystal Among ESPN's Top 25

ESPN released its Top 5 at every position yesterday and both Shay and Crystal made the list! Looks like we are finally starting to get noticed.

Read Story Here

Terps Picked 14th in Preseason AP Poll

The first AP Poll is out and the Terps are ranked 14th in the country behind Texas Tech and in front of Notre Dame. I believe this is our highest ranking in some time, but I will check on that and edit the post.

Story on Poll

Poll

Some Notes about the poll:

Duke is #1, but Tennessee received more first place votes

Maryland will play 5 games against four of the Top 10 (Duke, Tennessee, North Carolina, Michigan State)

NC State is the only other ranked opponent on the Terps schedule, while BC, Arizona, Virginia Tech, Florida State, Wake Forest, Xavier and Virginia are all receiving votes.

ESPN Previews the Season

ESPN, which probably promotes the sport better than anyone else (granted the coverage still stinks, but at least they care), posted some of their season previews today. Among them was the Experts Picks and the ACC Preview by Beth Mowins.

Mowins and Voepel picked us as a team on the rise, while Creme gave Shay the nod as the Best Kept Secret and Langhorne was picked as the Best Rebounder by Mowins.

Here is what Mowins said about the Terps in her ACC preview.

"The Maryland Terrapins have undergone a transformation under fourth-year coach Brenda Frese -- from ACC pretender to ACC contender. Maryland's young talent is as good as anyone's in the country. The big question is at the point, where the Terps -- who were 22-10 last season -- will probably rely on freshman Kristi Tolliver.

Tolliver will have plenty of support, with weapons on the perimeter and in the post. Junior guards Shay Doron and Kalika France are good off the dribble and can get to the basket. Forward Crystal Langhorne was the only player in the ACC last year to average a double-double, en route to garnering ACC rookie of the year honors.

Tolliver arrives to take over the point after an All-America high school career. Fellow rookie Marissa Coleman might also step into the starting lineup. Maryland gets a big boost with the return of sophomore center Laura Harper, who got hurt early last year after a promising start to her collegiate career.

Maryland won eight of the first 12 ACC titles. But the Terps haven't been on top since 1989, and haven't played for the ACC championship since falling to Virginia in triple-overtime in 1993. That could change this year if Harper stays healthy and France plays with a consistency she showed as a freshman but lacked as a sophomore."

Another Feature on Shay

Shay is featured in this article by Lion Klinger who writes about Israeli athletes playing basketball.

Click Here to Read the Article

ESPN.com Previews the Terps

Here's Peter Newmann's take on the Terps this year, who he has pegged #13 in the country: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/news/story?id=2208598

Just a few notes about this piece.
1. He claims our only weaknesses is experience. I think our defense is a weakness too as we don't have many shotblockers. Granted Harper will help us out, but she's still only one player. Also, we are short on the perimeter which will allow bigger guards to shoot over us.
2. He stats the team has never achieved success with its current players. Again that's wrong, they went to the second round of the tournament two years in a row despite being the underdog (yes they played at home, but most of the experts predicted UWGB would win the game) In 2004, they were a 12 seed and were the only one to advance. Also they finished third in the ACC that year. Yes, the team has never beaten Duke or made it to the finals of the ACC Tournament, but it's hard when you rely on sophomores and freshman to carry the load. Should the team not make it to the Sweet 16 this year, then I can call it a failure.

Coaches' Poll is Out! Maryland Ranked 14th

Only a week after the men, but the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll is officially out and the Terps are ranked 14th, the highest they have been ranked to start the season in some time. Tennessee is #1, followed by Duke, LSU and Ohio State meaning that by December UM will have played each of these teams at least once in the past year.

Aside from UT and Duke, the following Maryland opponents are also ranked: UNC (8), Michigan State (11) and NC State (24).

14 is right around where I think we deserve to be especially with an unproven point guard. The gap between us and Texas Tech is over 100 points so we have to make some noise early to close that gap before the Virgin Islands.

If you want to see the complete poll click on the link on the left.

From the Diamondback: Another Converted Fan

Looks like the Diamondback found another writer who is slowly coming over to the women's side of thing. Here's hoping she changes a few minds and we get more than 1,000 students at every game.

http://www.diamondbackonline.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/11/01/4367565d04958

Sports Page Magazine Picks Terps 6th

Looks like a UConn-based online magazine and somehow they rewarded the Terps with a #6 ranking.

6) MARYLAND: Coach Brenda Frese wasted no time turning the Terrapins into a national contender, with back-to-back-to-back top rated recruiting classes. Shay Doron and Kalika France lead the backcourt attack, while ACC Freshman of the Year, 6-3 forward Crystal Langhorne, again powers the interior. The Terps will greatly benefit from the return of 6-4 center Laura Harper, whose initial season was cut short with an achilles injury. Frese guaranteed a win against ACC conference favorite Duke, and though the prophecy didn’t come true, 6-1 freshman Marissa Coleman and 5-8 Kristi Tolliver may give Maryland the depth and skill to deliver on that promise this season.

for the complete story go here: http://www.sportspagemagazine.com/published/college-sports/our-ncaa-womens-basketbal.shtml

Terps Picked Third in ACC Preseason Poll

2005-06 Preseason Poll
1. Duke (30) - 470
2. North Carolina (10) - 446
3. Maryland - 394
4. NC State - 352
5. Boston College - 302
6. Florida State - 256
7. Virginia Tech - 214
8. Virginia - 188
9. Wake Forest - 166
10. Georgia Tech - 152
11. Miami - 126
12. Clemson - 54

2005-06 Preseason All-ACC Team
Monique Currie, Duke
Shay Doron, Maryland
Tamara James, Miami
Crystal Langhorne, Maryland
Erlana Larkins, North Carolina
Ivory Latta, North Carolina

2005-06 Preseason Player of the Year
Monique Currie, Duke

2005-06 Preseason Rookie of the Year
Abby Waner, Duke

A few notes about the selections.
- Good to see Maryland have two selections, it's been a long time since we have seen that.
- I think Coleman will beat out Waner for ROY, but that all depends on the NC media.
- Duke was picked either 1st or second on every ballot, while North Carolina received at least one third place vote ( I think it was 4). Maryland looks to have had this breakdown
Second place - 4 votes, Third place - 26 Votes, Fourth place - 10 votes

Capital Gazette Previews the Team

Here's the article for the Annapolis Capital, one of the team's most loyal followers.

http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2005/10_19-41/SPO

SI Ranks the Terps 13th

The author did a good job and reading a website and taking some facts from it, but she could have done more research. She mentions that Larkins and Latta are POY candidates and averaged 31 per game, yet Lang and Shay averaged nearly 35 ppg and are POY candidates too. Here's what she wrote about Maryland:

Maryland Terrapins
With so much of the attention falling on Duke and North Carolina, Terps coach Brenda Frese has been putting together quite a team. She brought in her second straight top-five recruiting class. Throw in four returning starters, and you have a potent squad. The Terps welcome back their top two scorers in Crystal Langhorne and Shay Doron.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writers/tracy_schultz/10/14/power.rankings/index.html

Today's Article

Disappointed that neither the Post or the Times did an article after media day yesterday. Below is the article from Ed Lee of the Baltimore Sun, who enters year two of covering the team.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/college/basketball/bal-sp.terpswom19oct19,1,5139803.story?coll=bal-sports-more

Dick Patrick's Sleeper Team

In case you missed it, Dick Patrick picked Maryland as his sleeper team in the USA Today preview issue on Friday. Here is the link and the excerpt:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/mensbasketball/2005-10-13-hoops-questions_x.htm#questions

Is there a team that might be a similar dark horse to national champ Baylor and runner-up Michigan State?
You might want to keep an eye on Maryland. Brenda Frese has had three strong recruiting classes in a row. Junior guard Shay Doron, sophomore posts Crystal Langhorne and Laura Harper, returning from an Achilles' injury, plus newcomers including Marissa Coleman could make the Terrapins a force in March.

Dick Patrick's Sleeper Team

In case you missed it, Dick Patrick picked Maryland as his sleeper team in the USA Today preview issue on Friday. Here is the link and the excerpt:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/mensbasketball/2005-10-13-hoops-questions_x.htm#questions

Is there a team that might be a similar dark horse to national champ Baylor and runner-up Michigan State?
You might want to keep an eye on Maryland. Brenda Frese has had three strong recruiting classes in a row. Junior guard Shay Doron, sophomore posts Crystal Langhorne and Laura Harper, returning from an Achilles' injury, plus newcomers including Marissa Coleman could make the Terrapins a force in March.

And We're Back

Sorry for the delay the last month or so, there wasn't a ton of news and I got lazy. Hope you all like the new design on top.

The season officially is underway as Coach Frese led the team to the floor last Friday night. It was great to hear about all the High School All-Americans the team has recruited. I had two complaints though. 1) The order in which the players were introduced. Shay and Crystal should have been the last two announced as they are the two stars. No offense to Aurelie, Charmaine and Angel, but their accolades aren't the same as #1 and #22. 2)The women only got to play for 6 minutes. Yes that's right 6 minutes. At a school that is trying to attract the students to women's games you would figure they would let them play for longer so the students could see what they were missing out on. Granted the ladies played technically instead of high-flying, but we need students at the game.

Yesterday was Media Day and here are the links to what the players had to say, as well as a photo gallery:
http://umterps.collegesports.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/101805aae.html
http://umterps.collegesports.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/101805aaa.html


Also, in case you missed it, here is the release about the preseason magazine polls:
http://umterps.collegesports.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/101305aab.html