Nov. 26, 2000

Box Score

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Junior guard Marche Strickland (Kingston, Mass.) buried a three-pointer with 12.5 seconds left to cap a wild second-half Terp rally as Maryland overcame a late deficit to beat Delaware, 71-70, and win its fifth consecutive home tournament dating to 1996. The Terps' 4-0 record to open the 2000-01 season marks Maryland's best start since it opened the 1991-92 season with a 9-0 record and won 20 of its first 21 games. In that season, the Terps advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight.

Strickland scored 10 of Maryland's first 14 points and finished the day with a team-high 23 to earn Terrapin Classic MVP honors. Junior forward Deedee Warley (Fort Washington, Md.) was also named to the all-tournament team as she tallied 17 points to give her 31 in two games over the weekend.

The Fightin' Blue Hens scrapped all the way back from being down by as many as 18 points in the first half and 11 points at halftime to take their first lead of the game at 60-59 on a Carrie Timmins (New Oxford, Pa.) three-point field goal with 5:16 left in regulation. Delaware continued to hold the lead for the next five minutes, taking a five-point lead on four different occasions. But Maryland fought back scoring the game's final five points on a pair of Warley free throws with 41.9 seconds left and Strickland's dramatic shot with 12.5 remaining.

Delaware had two chances to win the game in the final seconds, as Danielle Leyfert (Vienna, Va.) missed a jumper in the lane with six seconds left. She then grabbed her own rebound but her shot hit back rim as time expired and Maryland captured the thrilling win.

For the second straight day the Maryland women's basketball team jumped out to an large lead in the opening minutes. In Sunday's championship game, the Terps raced out to a 22-4 advantage in the first ten minutes, that came on the heels of Maryland's 27-2 opening lead over Wagner in the first round on Saturday, 89-44. Long Beach State captured the consolation game.

All-Tournament Team (as voted on by the media present) Tamara Inoue - Long Beach Renneika Razor - Maryland Lindsay Davis - Delaware Deedee Warley - Maryland Danielle Leyfert - Delaware

Tournament MVP Marche Strickland - Maryland