Sports Talk: Maryland Keeps It Close

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BRENDA FRESE CAN'T REALLY EXPLAIN IT. The girls just like a good fight.

The coach and her No. 1-seeded Maryland Terrapins advanced to the NCAA tournament's Sweet 16 this week, but they kept things interesting throughout the opening rounds, played out on their home court in College Park.

On Tuesday against No. 8-seed Nebraska, the Terrapins built a 15-point first-half lead and watched it dwindle to a single point at halftime.

After the intermission, they built a 12-point lead but watched the Cornhuskers trim it to four points before the Terrapins finally pulled away.

"I think sometimes — I hate to say this — we may get bored or we lose focus with what we're doing," Frese said. "Sometimes with young people you lose that focus and intensity."

It wasn't Frese' first big dance; she understood that and set the bar low for her team. National champions in 2006, the Terps were ousted in the second round a year ago. And despite the fact that they were now a No. 1 seed and playing at home, Frese stressed to her team the effort it would require to advance past the opening rounds and travel to Spokane, Wash., where they will face fourth-seeded Vanderbilt on Saturday.

"We wanted to get out of College Park," said junior Marissa Coleman. "That's all we've been talking about is getting out of College Park."

Coleman's play late in Tuesday's game typified the team's response to a test. Coleman scored 15 of her 19 points in the second half as the Terps pulled away.

"I knew at some point Marissa was going to be able to click it on," Frese said. "It's a credit to Marissa hanging tough. You can always see that determination, the look in her eye. ... She's a big emotional leader."

But it wasn't just Coleman. Junior Kristi Toliver scored 19 points, including some clutch shots down the stretch. Senior Crystal Langhorne scored 12 of her 18 points and pulled down eight of her 12 rebounds after halftime.

As a team, the Terrapins were out-rebounded by the Cornhuskers in the first half. By the final buzzer, Maryland held a 13-rebound edge. The Terps won the fight under the basket, and they won the game.

"It's a credit to just how competitive we are," Frese said. "We love to compete. We love the challenge."

Written by Express contributor Derek Turner
Photo by Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post