Feb. 16, 2005

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#20/21 MARYLAND (17-6, 6-5) at Miami (12-12, 4-7)
Thursday, February 17, 2005 • 7 p.m.
The Convocation Center (7,000) • Coral Gables, Fla.

QUICK HITS

• Maryland earned a No. 20 in the Associated Press poll this week and remained at No. 21 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. The Terps are ranked among the top in the AP poll for the sixth-straight week and have been ranked for 15-consecutive weeks in both polls.
• Maryland is just one conference win away the program's 200th ACC victory.
• Maryland's record-setting crowd of 17,243 on Feb. 13 was not only an ACC record but also the third-largest this season and the only top 15 attendance figure not featuring Tennessee or Connecticut.
• The Terps' 17-6 record this season is its best through 23 games since 1992-93. The 17 victories is more than or ties the season win totals of nine of the last 11 seasons.
• Three Terrapins have or are on their way to registering some of the best single-season marks in school history. Sophomore Shay Doron's 122 free throws made is the third-most in school history. Senior Anesia Smith's 164 assists is fifth-most in school history and freshman Crystal Langhorne's 216 boards are the 14th-most all-time.
• Crystal Langhorne was selected ACC Rookie of the Week for the fourth time this season, tying the school record. She leads the ACC in rebounding and in double-doubles (10).
• Maryland's 75.1 points per game is the team's highest scoring average since 1992-93. The Terps rank ninth in the nation in scoring and are third in the ACC. Sophomore Shay Doron's 19.0 ppg is currently the fourth-highest single-season average in school history. Crystal Langhorne's 15.7 ppg is just out of the top 15 all-time.
• Maryland has scored at least 72 points in 15 of its 17 wins and in 17 total games this season. The Terps are 33-7 when scoring at least 70 points under head coach Brenda Frese.
• The Terps have had at least three double-digit scorers in all but four games and a 10+ rebounder 19 times.

Terps Travel to Miami for NCAA Rematch
• No. 20/21 Maryland heads down to ACC newcomer Miami for a rematch of last season's NCAA Tournament first round game which the Terrapins won, 86-85, in Baton Rouge, La. A pivotal conference matchup for both squads, it is the only meeting between the teams this season.
• Maryland is looking for its third road ACC victory of the season which would make it the most since the 2000-01 campaign.

Last Time Out
• In front of an ACC record crowd of 17, 243, the Terps fell to league leader Duke, 60-47. For the second time this season, Maryland limited the Blue Devils, who lead the conference in scoring, to just 60 points.
• In a defensive battle, both teams shot under 40 percent from the field. Sophomore Shay Doron had a game-high 18 points in the loss and classmate Kalika France had 13. Freshman Crystal Langhorne was limited to just eight points, but hauled down 10 boards.
• The previous ACC women's basketball attendance record of 14,500 was also held by the Terps, set in 1992 at Cole Field House.

Terps in the Polls
• For the sixth-straight week, Maryland is ranked in the top 20 in the Associated Press and has been in the AP top 20 for 10 weeks overall. The Terps are No. 20 this week and remain at No. 21 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches for the third week in a row. Maryland has been ranked in both polls for 15-straight weeks.
• Five Maryland opponents are featured in this week's polls, including LSU who holds the No. 1 spot in both polls for the third-straight week. ACC foes Duke (#3/4), North Carolina (#8/5), NC State (#21/24) and Florida State (#RV/25) are featured in this week's top 25. Arizon and Virginia are receiving votes in both polls.
• After upsetting its first top-five opponent since 1992-93 when it defeated North Carolina, Maryland made the second-largest leap in the Associated Press poll the week of Jan. 10, jumping six spots from No. 21 to No. 15.
• The Terps have posted a 17-6 record this season with all six of their losses coming to teams who are ranked or were ranked at some point in the season. • The No. 15 national ranking earlier this season was the highest for the Terps since earning a No. 11 final ranking at the end of the 1992-93 season.
• On Dec. 20, Maryland was ranked in the top 20 in both the AP and Coaches poll for the first time since the week of Dec. 27, 1993. That was also the last year the Terps were featured in the top 20 in either poll prior to this season.

About Miami
• Miami comes into Thursday's contest at 12-12 and 4-7 in the ACC. The Hurricanes opened the ACC season with a five-game losing streak, but have won four of their last six to get back into the mix. Miami is coming off of a near-upset, falling to NC State, 71-68.
• Junior Tamara James boasts the ACC's highest scoring average with 23.1 ppg. She has led or tied for the team lead in scoring in all but four games. She has scored at least 30 points five times, including a 39-point outing on Dec. 28 vs. Fairfield. She is also ranked in the top 10 in shooting percentage at .491. A team loaded with 10 guards (inlcudes three listed as guard/forwards), the Hurricanes are last in the league in rebounding.
• A 1967 graduate of East Strousburg, Ferne Labati has been at the Hurricane helm for 17 seasons, posting a 302-191 record. Her coaching career spans 26 seasons and has recorded a 438-313 mark.

Series vs. Miami
• Maryland leads the all-time series, 3-1, dating back to 1987. The Terps have won and lost on the Hurricanes' home court. The teams have faced each other every year for the last three years.
• The Terrapins claimed the biggest win in the history of the series last season when the Terps topped Miami, 86-85, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Baton Rouge, La.

RPI Rating
• Maryland has achieved a No. 9 Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) in the latest listings in the WBCA/Summerville RPI, CollegeRPI.com and the Collegiate Basketball News, the second highest RPI in the ACC. The WBCA and Collegiate Basketball News have also rated the Terps' schedule as the sixth strongest in the nation, while CollegeRPI.com has rated it fifth.

Among Nation's Best
• As of Feb. 14, three Terps are among the national statistical leaders. Leading the team in scoring, sophomore Shay Doron's season average of 19.0 ppg is 27th in the nation. Freshman Crystal Langhorne's accuracy from the floor ranks ninth in the nation at 60.6 percent shooting. She jumped into the top 50 (36th) after upping her rebounding average to 9.4 rpg. Senior Anesia Smith continues to put together one of the best seasons of her career. Her 7.1 helpers per game is not only first in the ACC but also ranks third nationally.
• As a team, Maryland is in the top 20 in four different statistical categories. Its 75.1 points per game is ninth in the nation and its 7.9 rebounding margin is 12th overall. Maryland's 45.8 shooting percentage ranks 17th nationally and the team's 17.0 assists per game are 20th. Check out the chart at the bottom right-hand corner of page three to see where the Terps rank among Division I's 324 teams in every statistical category as a team.

Starting Young
• With eight of the 12 players on the Maryland roster being freshmen or sophomores, the Terps have started the youngest lineup in the ACC. The Terps' 92 combined starts by freshmen and sophomore this season are, by far, the most in the ACC.
• Two freshmen and two sophomores have been in the Maryland starting lineup in every game, with the Terp freshmen class making 46 starts and the sophomores making 46 starts, as well. Georgia Tech is the only team in the conference to have more freshmen starts than the Terps, making 48. The next closest youngest lineup in the ACC are the Yellow Jackets with 71 starts by freshmen and sophomores.

Young Studs II
• The No. 2 recruiting class in the nation has lived up to its billing this season and are among the top rookies in the ACC. Freshman Crystal Langhorne is the highest scoring and rebounding freshman in the league with 15.7 ppg and 9.4 rpg (which also leads the ACC). She is also seventh 1.04 steals and tied for ninth at 1.00 assists per game.
• Ashliegh Newman's 6.7 ppg and 1.00 apg are 10th in the class and Jade Perry's 3.7 ppg are 10th among ACC freshmen.

Smith Finalist for Liberman Award
• In her final season in a Maryland uniform and the most experienced member on the squad, Anesia Smith could arguably be the most improved player in the ACC. Earning the starting point guard duties on a full-time basis this season for the first time in her career, she is averaging 7.1 assists per game, more than three times her career average coming into the season (2.3). Her 164 helpers this year are among the top five single-season totals in school history. Recently, she was named one of 10 finalists for the Nancy Lieberman Award, given to the nation's top point guard.
• The ACC's assists leader and ranked third in the nation in that category, Smith also sports the best assist/turnover ration in the conference at 2.08.
• Smith has had five double-digit assist games in her career, all coming during this season. Prior to his year, her career high was nine assists, which she achieved just two times. Her 14 assist performance vs. Marshall not only set the Comcast Center record, but is also the sixth-most single-game total in the nation this season.

On the Offensive
• Maryland's scoring is up. Way up! The Terps are averaging 75.1 points per game this season, currently the highest scoring average since 1992-93. Not only is that third-best in the ACC, but it also ranks ninth in the nation (as of Feb. 14).
• Sophomore Shay Doron is one of the reasons the team scoring average is up 6.7 points per game from last season. Her 19.0 ppg would rank fourth in the Maryland single-season record books, while Crystal Langhorne's 15.7 ppg is just out of the top 15 all-time.
• Since head coach Brenda Frese has taken over the Maryland helm three years ago, fans have seen the Terps' scoring improve from 63.2 ppg in 2001-02. In her first season, Maryland averaged 67.4 ppg and last year, it was averaging 68.4 ppg.

Lethal Weapons
• Maryland has proven hard to defend with its strong inside/outside game. Opponents will not be able to zero in on just one player to contain the Terrapin offense. Averaging 75.1 points per game, the Terps are third in the ACC in scoring behind North Carolina (80.1) and Duke (76.8). With five different players reaching the 20-point plateau (including the injured Laura Harper), the Terps are the only team with two players among the top six in scoring in the ACC.
• Sophomore Shay Doron has had 10 20+ point games, including two where she scored over 35 points. Freshman Crystal Langhorne has posted six games over 20 points, while sophomore Kalika France has done so twice. Prior to being sidelined for the year, freshman Laura Harper had a 20-point outing vs. Loyola. Classmate Ashliegh Newman had an amazing performance at Clemson where she sank seven three pointers in the first half for a career-high 21 points.
• The Terrapins boast the second-best shooting percentage in the ACC at .458, just slightly behind North Carolina who is shooting .459 on the season. Maryland has shot above 50 percent from the field nine times this season. Second in the ACC in field goal percentage, freshmen Crystal Langhorne has shot better than 50 percent in 17 games this season and better than 80 percent five times.

Picking Up the Slack
• With the departure of Laura Harper, the Terrapin post players have had to step up to make up for the 13 points and nearly 10 rebounds per game Harper was contributing. It has been a team effort to make up for the loss, with classmate Crystal Langhorne and sophomore Shay Doron taking on a bulk of the load.
• In Maryland's first four games without Harper, Langhorne posted four-straight 20-point games, averaging 23 ppg and 9.3 rpg in that span and has been averaging 17.2 ppg and 11.1 rpg since Harper has been out of the lineup (14 games). Langhorne now leads the ACC in rebounding with 9.5 rpg and is sixth with 16.0 ppg.
• Doron has scored 20.9 ppg and grabbed 5.2 rpg in the last 14 games, reaching the 30-point mark twice and grabbing at least five boards eight times.
• Sophomore Kalika France has joined with Langhorne to help in the rebounding responsibilities, averaging 5.9 rpg since Harper has been sidelined to go along with 11.0 ppg.
• Another freshman, Jade Perry, has stepped into the starting position in place of the injured Harper. She has averaged 5.2 ppg and 3.9 rpg since stepping into the starting lineup.

That 70s Show
• Since head coach Brenda Frese took over the program during the 2003-04 season, the Terps are 33-7 when scoring 70 points or more and 27-2 since last year. Maryland has scored at least 72 points in 16 of its 17 wins and in 17 games overall this season.
• The Terps are also 17-2 when netting 80 or more points under Frese and 7-1 when scoring at least 90 points since Frese has been at the helm, dropping its first 90-point game in three years at Florida State on Jan. 16, 2005, 95-91 in overtime.

Moving Up
• With her 11 assists in the upset-win over then-No. 5/4 North Carolina, senior Anesia Smith entered the top15 among Maryland's career assist leaders. Now among the top 10 assist leaders in school history, her 366 career helpers ranks 10th. Smith has had five double-digit assist games in her career, all this season, and is a finalist for the Nancy Liberman Award, given to the nation's top point guard.
• It took just one season, but sophomore Shay Doron has already made her way into the Maryland career record books and has her sights set on the three-point charts. She is seventh all-time with 55 treys after entering the season ranked 10th in the school record books. Her 179 attempts behind the three-point line are also seventh.

Road Tested
• It's tough to win on the road in the ACC. Maryland has also struggled on the road in recent years. Prior to this season, the Terps had won just three road victories, two in conference play, in each of the last two seasons. In 2001-02, Maryland was winless away from College Park. This season, however, Maryland is looking to break that trend. So far, the Terps have won six road contests, the most since 2000-01. Of those wins, two were in ACC play, equaling the confernece away wins of the last two seasons. The Terps still have two more road challenges remaining on the schedule.
• The last time the Terrapins posted a .500 record in league games on the road was 2000-01 and they have not had a winning record since 1991-92. The lower left corner of page eight features the year-by-year breakdown of the Terps record on the road since 1991-92.

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.

Langhorne 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.

Up Next
• Terps close out the road slate traveling to long-time rival Virginia on Sunday, Feb. 20. Maryland will be looking for its first regular season sweep of the Cavaliers since 1989.