Maryland Women's Basketball Faces 2nd-Ranked LSU at Coors Classic
11/25/2004 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 25, 2004
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
Game Notes in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
#2/2 LSU (5-0) VS. #22/22 MARYLAND (2-0)
Friday, November 26 • 5:00 p.m. MT
Coors Classic • Coors Center • Boulder, Colo.
QUICK HITS
• Maryland is looking for its third-straight 3-0 starts since the 1981, 1982 and 1983 campaigns.
• The Terps are making their first-ever trip to the state of Colorado.
• LSU is the first ranked opponent Maryland faces this season.
• Terps moved up two spots this week to 22 in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Top 20 poll.
• Sophomore Shay Doron is looking to extend her double-digit scoring streak to eight games, dating back to last season.
• Friday night's game against LSU is a rematch of the 2004 NCAA Tournament second round game where the Lady Tigers won, 76-61.
Terps Face Second-Ranked LSU at Coors Classic
• No. 22/22 Maryland travels to Boulder, Colo., for the Coors Classic over the Thanksgiving weekend. The Terps face second-ranked and 2004 Final Four participant LSU to open the tournament on Friday, Nov. 26 at 7 p.m. ET. The game is a rematch of last season's 2004 NCAA Tournament second-round matchup in Baton Rouge, La.
• Making their first-ever trip to the state of Colorado, the Terps face its first ranked opponent of the season when they take on the Lady Tigers on the first day of the tournament.
• Maryland plays either host Colorado or Pennsylvania to close out the weekend on Saturday, Nov. 27.
Last Time Out
• The Terps swept both games of their season-opening weekend. Maryland traveled to Appalachian State for the inaugural game of the season and cruised to a 94-74 victory. Playing at home for the first time this season, the Terps topped Siena, 73-52.
• Appalachian State came to within eight points in the second half, but Maryland used a late 23-4 run to seal the victory over the Mountaineers in Boone, N.C. The Terps shot 61.9 percent from the field, including 67.9 percent in the second half as all five starters tallied double-figure scoring. Freshman Crystal Langhorne led the way with 25 points on 11-for-14 shooting and a team-high tying seven boards. Sophomore Shay Doron was 8-for-13 from the field, netting 20 points. Classmate Kalika France contributed 14 points and four steals, while rookie Laura Harper chipped in 12 points and seven rebounds. Senior Anesia Smith dished out nine assists, tying a career high, to go along with 10 points.
• Playing in front of the home crowd for the first time this season, the Terps used a late surge, once again, going on a 17-5 run to put away the Saints who would not go away for the first three quarters of the contest. Doron paced the attack, dropping 21 points to lead the team in scoring. She has scored in double figures in the last seven games, dating back to last season. Harper posted her first-career double-double, grabbing 14 rebounds while tallying 12 points. The Terps were edged out on the boards, 40-37, but scored 32 points off of the Saints' 26 turnovers.
Terps in the Polls
• The young Maryland Terrapins are ranked 22th in this week's ESPN/USA Today Coaches and Associated Press polls, moving up two spots in both polls. Facing their first ranked opponent of the season, the Terps' rating is bolstered by the return of three starters, including sophomore sensations Shay Doron and Kalika France, and the addition of the No. 2 recruiting class in the nation.
• Maryland is scheduled to face four teams ranked in this week's national rankings, including second-ranked LSU. ACC foes North Carolina and Duke are rated in the top 10 in both rankings. Arizona, who entered the top 25 this week, hosts the Terrapins in late January for a nationally televised contest.
About LSU
• Coming off of the 2004 Final Four, the No. 2 Lady Tigers are 5-0 heading into the the Thanksgiving weekend. LSU is traveling across three time zones this week, having picked up its fifth-straight win at Temple, 65-51, on Nov. 23. Junior Seimone Augustus leads the team with 21.4 points per game.
• Head coach Pokey Chatman is in her first official season at the LSU helm. Filling in for legendary head coach Sue Gunter last season, she guided LSU to the 2004 Final Four as acting head coach. A 1991 graduate of LSU, Chatman has been with the program as a coach for 14 seasons.
Series vs. LSU
• The Lady Tigers lead the all-time series, 2-1, with each team posting a win at a neutral site. in the last meeting between the teams, LSU ended the Terps' NCAA Tournament run with a 76-61 seond-round victory in Baton Rouge, La.
Wins vs. Ranked Opponents
• Maryland has posted 89 all-time wins over ranked opponents (since 1976-77; based on AP poll) with 21 of those victories coming against top-10 teams. In the history of the program, the Terps have also claimed wins against top five teams 12 times. The Terps' last win over a top-five squad was when they beat Virginia, the No. 1 team in the nation, during the 1991-92 season, 67-65. Maryland was ranked No. 3 in that game.
• In 89 of those wins , the Terps were also ranked in 65 of those games. Maryland's only win over a top-five team while unranked was an 81-80 upset over No. 3 NC State on Jan. 26, 1991.
• The Terps had not defeated a a ranked squad (AP or Coaches poll) since the 2000-01 season until it counted. In the first round of the 2004 NCAA Tournament, Maryland topped No. 23 (Coaches) Miami, 86-85, to advance and claim its first postseason victory in 12 years.
Maryland Picked Third in ACC Preseason Poll
• After being picked to finish eighth in the previous two Preseason ACC Media Polls, the Terps jumped five spaces to third in the 2004-05 version, garnering two first-place votes. Last year, Maryland ended the season in a surprising third-place tie with NC State.
• North Carolina was predicted to end Duke's six-year stranglehold on the ACC regular-season title, while the Blue Devils were picked to place second in the league. League newcomers Virginia Tech and Miami round out the top five, respectively.
ACC Preseason Poll 1. North Carolina (20) 7. NC State 2. Duke (18) 8. Clemson 3. MARYLAND (2) Florida State 4. Miami 10. Georgia Tech 5. Virginia Tech 11. Wake Forest 6. VirginiaLanghorne Selected Preseason Rookie of the Year
• Newcomer Crystal Langhorne became the first-ever Terrapin to be named ACC Rookie of the Year when it was announced at ACC Media Day. Langhorne was rated the top post player in the nation last year according to the All-Star Girls Report and was a McDonald's, Parade, Street & Smith's and WBCA All-American.
• Since 1991 when the preseason picks began, the preseason honoree has been the actual honoree seven times.
Terrapins 12th in Athlon Poll
• Maryland was 12th in this year's Athlon College Basketball Annual, the Terps' highest preseason ranking. Only three ACC teams were among the preseason top 25. North Carolina was seventh in the poll while Duke was ninth.
Doron earns Preseason Honors
• Doron, who was the first Terrapin freshman to ever earn All-ACC honors, was named to the Naismith Player of the Year watch list. In addition, Street & Smith's selected Doron a Honorable Metion All-American in its college basketball preview edition. She was also voted to the Preseason All-ACC squad at the ACC's Media Day.
Harper Claims Gold
• Before coming to College Park, freshman Laura Harper traveled to Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, as a member of the U.S. Junior Women's Basketball team. She helped the Stars & Stripes to a perfect 6-0 record at the Junior World Championship Qualifying Tournament as the USA claimed the gold medal.
Who's Back
• Seven letterwinners return from last season's 18-13 squad. Among them are returning starters senior Anesia Smith and sophomores Shay Doron and Kalika France. Smith is the most experienced Terp on the team and is the incumbent at the point guard position having emerged as the team's leader. Doron and France also look to fulfill leadership roles this season as the two top-returning scorers. France also led the team in rebounding last year.
• Also coming back to the Comcast Center hardwood are juniors Charmaine Carr and Angel Ross, and sophomores Aurelie Noirez and C'Vette Henson. Noirez played every game after sitting out the first eight games of the season while the NCAA determined her international eligibility status. Carr will make contributions at a new position as she will play the swing forward spot. Ross and C'Vette will also push for playing time at the post and guard spots, respectively.
Who's Not
• The Terps have to contend with the loss of post players Delvona Oliver and Crystal Washington. Oliver was an Honorable Mention All-ACC pick and earned a spot on the ACC All-Tournament second team. Washington had a breakout season last year, starting every game and leading the team in blocks.
• After a successful four-year career, Vicki Brick left her mark in the Maryland record books, ranking in the top 10 in assists and steals.
• The Terps who were the top three-point shooting team in the ACC, will be hurt by the departures of Alli Spence and Chrissy Fisher. Spence set the single-season school record for three-point percentage, shooting at a .500 clip. Fisher was seventh in the ACC in three-point shooting and 10th with 1.23 treys made per game.
Five New Faces Join Squad
• The No. 2 recruiting class in the nation consists of three post players and a guard. Crystal Langhorne, Laura Harper and Jade Perry will have to fill the void left behind by Delvona Oliver and Crystal Washington. All three have successful prep experience and will make an immediate impact. The only guard in the class, Ashleigh Newman is a versatile player who adds depth to the backcourt and will push for playing time. Senior transfer Liz Gilchrist comes to Maryland after spending three seasons at Division-III Washington College where she was named Honorable Mention All-Centennial Conference in her last season there.
Frese Signs Recruits
• Head coach Brenda Frese announced the signing of two of the nation's top recruits. High school seniors Marissa Coleman and Kristi Toliver signed National Letters of Intent to play basketball at the University of Maryland beginning 2005-06. The Blue Star report rated this class the No. 4 recruiting class in the nation, making it the second-straight year Frese has secured a top-five recruiting class.
Up Next
• The Terps close out the Coors Classic on Saturday, Nov. 27 with a game against host Colorado or Pennsylvania.
