No. 20/21 Terp Women's Basketball Travels to Clemson
2/5/2005 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 5, 2005
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#20/21 MARYLAND (15-5, 3-4) at Clemson (7-13, 1-7)
Sunday, February 6, 2005 • 2 p.m.
Littlejohn Coliseum (11,202) • Clemson, S.C.
QUICK HITS
• In her sixth season as a head coach, the Terrapin's Brenda Frese, who is in her third year at the Maryland helm, captured her 100th-career victory in the win over Georgia Tech.
• Maryland is three conference wins away the program's 200th ACC victory.
• Senior Anesia Smith was four points shy of a triple-double in the Terps' win over Georgia Tech. She had 10 rebounds and 11 assists, leading the team in both categories.
• Freshman Crystal Langhorne's nine double-doubles is the most in the ACC. Averaging 13.4 rebounds per game over her last five contests, she leads the conference that category.
• Maryland's 75.8 points per game is the team's highest scoring average since 1992-93. The Terps rank 11th in the nation in scoring and are third in the ACC. Sophomore Shay Doron's 19.6 ppg is currently the fourth-highest single-season average in school history. Crystal Langhorne's 16.3 ppg is in the top 15 all-time.
• Maryland has scored at least 72 points in 13 of its 15 wins and in 15 total games this season. The Terps are 31-7 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 16 times.
Terps Travel to Clemson
• No. 20/21 Maryland looks to improve its road record when it travels to Clemson on Sunday, Feb. 6 at 2 p.m. The Terps are coming off a decisive victory over Georgia Tech where head coach Brenda Frese captured her 100th-career victory.
• The Terps have just one ACC road victory and looks to improve upon that as they looking to continue to move up the conference standings. Maryland has just two road trips remaining this season after Sunday.
Terps On TV
• Maryland hosts on Duke in a nationally televised contest on ESPN2 on Sunday, Feb. 13 at 3 p.m. It is the third nationally broadcast game the Terps will play in and at least the fifth TV appearance of the season.
Last Time Out
• Maryland cruised to an 84-67 win over Georgia Tech to complete the regular-season sweep for the first time since 1997-98. Terrapin head coach Brenda Frese also captured her 100th-career victory vs. Tech.
• The Terps were outrebounded for just the third time this season, 38-29, but shot almost 52 percent from the field and limited their turnovers to just 12 while forcing Georgia Tech to commit 21 turnovers. The Yellow Jackets were limited to 37.9 shooting. Maryland led by as many as 12 points by the 11-minute mark then grabbed a 42-22 lead at the break. The Terps improved their shooting from 46.7 to 56.7 percent in the second period to cruise to the victory.
• Sophomore Shay Doron and freshman Crystal Langhorne led Maryland with 18 points each. Langhorne, who is second in the ACC in field goal percentage, was nearly perfect, going 8-for-9 from the floor. Sophomore Kalika France added 14 points while classmate Aurelie Noirez recorded a career-high 12 points. Senior Anesia Smith was four points from a triple-double, leading the team with 10 points and 11 assists.
Terps in the Polls
• For the fourth-straight week, Maryland is ranked in the top 20 in the Associated Press and has been in the AP top 20 for eight weeks overall. After nearly defeating Duke and picking up an exciting overtime victory at Arizona, the Terps moved up to 21 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. Maryland has been ranked in both polls for 13-straight weeks.
• Five Maryland opponents are featured in this week's polls, including LSU who makes its way back up to the No. 1 spot in both polls. ACC foes Duke (#3/4), North Carolina (#9/6) and Florida State (#24/24) are featured in this week's top 25. NC State is ranked 25th in the AP rankings while Arizona, Virginia and Virginia Tech are receiving votes in one or both polls.
About Clemson
• Riding a seven-game losing skid, Clemson sits at the bottom of the ACC standings with a 1-7 conference record. On Friday, the Tigers suffered a 99-55 thrashing at the hands of North Carolina in Chapel, Hill, N.C. In their game against the Tar Heels, the Clemson starting lineup featured three freshmen and a couple of juniors.
• Second-to-last in the ACC in scoring, averaging just 63.8 ppg, the Tigers do not have any players averaging double figures. Reggie Maddox leads the team with 9.4 ppg, while Amanda White is the team's rebounding leader with 6.3 rpg. D'Lesha Lloyd is chipping in just 9.0 ppg this season, but has been averaging 12.1 ppg in conference games. The Tigers are ranked in the top three in the ACC in free throw percentage entering the weekend (.722) and in rebounding offense (42.8).
Series vs. Clemson
• Maryland leads the all-time series, 30-24, having swept the regular-season series last season. The Terps won their regular-season finale at Littlejohn Coliseum last season, to end the year tied for third in the ACC with an 8-8 record.
RPI Rating
• As of Jan. 31, Maryland had a No. 7 ratings percentage index (RPI) in the 2004-05 WBCA/Summerville RPI, the second-highest in the ACC. The Terps' schedule is also the second-best in the nation behind only Tennessee.
• Maryland also has a No. 6 RPI according to collegerpi.com and a No. 7 rating by Collegiate Basketball News. Its strength of schedule is rated fourth and second, respectively.
Among Nation's Best
• As of Jan. 31, three Terps are among the national statistical leaders. After going on a scoring tear where she averaged almost 35 points per game over a three-game period from Jan. 9-Jan. 16, sophomore Shay Doron's season average of 19.7 ppg is 18th in the nation. Freshman Crystal Langhorne's accuracy from the floor ranks 13th in the nation at 60.0 percent shooting. She jumped into the top 50 (36th) after upping her rebounding average to 9.5 rpg. Senior Anesia Smith continues to put together one of the best seasons of her career. Her 6.9 helpers per game is not only first in the ACC but also ranks fifth nationally.
• As a team, Maryland is in the top 20 in three different statistical categories. Its 10.2 rebounding margin is among the top five in the nation, ranking fourth overall. Its 75.3 points per game is 12th and the Terps' .456 shooting percentage is 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.
Four Points Away
• Senior Anesia Smith was four points away from posting the first triple-double of record in the history of the Maryland women's basketball program. Smith had a career-high 10 rebounds and 11 assists to go along with eight points.
Smith "Assists" in Terps' Success
• 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 142 helpers this year are among the top 10 single-season totals in school history.
• The ACC's assists leader, Smith also sports the best assist/turnover ration in the conference at 2.03.
• Smith has had four 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. Entering the week, Smith was ranked in the top five in assists per game among the nation's top point guards.
Top Plays
• Freshman Jade Perry's jumper with .8 seconds remaining in regulation at Arizona, sending the game into overtime, was rated No. 2 on ESPN's Top 10 Plays of the Day on the evening of Jan. 29.
On the Offensive
• Maryland's scoring is up. Way up! The Terps are averaging 75.8 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 12th in the nation (as of Jan. 31).
• Sophomore Shay Doron is one of the reasons the team scoring average is up 7.4 points per game from last season. Her 19.6 ppg would rank fourth in the Maryland single-season record books, while Crystal Langhorne's 16.3 ppg would be among 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.
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 18.7 ppg and 11.4 rpg since Harper has been out of the lineup (11 games). Langhorne now leads the ACC in rebounding with 9.3 rpg and is sixth with 16.3 ppg.
• Doron has scored 22.5 ppg and grabbed 4.9 rpg in the last 11 games, reaching the 30-point mark twice and grabbing at least five boards five times.
• Sophomore Kalika France has joined with Langhorne to help in the rebounding responsibilities, averaging 6.3 rpg since Harper has been sidelined to go along with 10.7 ppg.
• Another freshman, Jade Perry, has stepped into the starting position in place of the injured Harper. She has averaged 4.8 ppg and 3.9 rpg since stepping into the starting lineup.
Doubling Up
• Freshman Crystal Langhorne leads the team and the ACC with nine double-doubles and has combined with classmate Laura Harper and sophomore Kalika France to post 13 on the season. Prior to suffering a season-ending Achilles tendon injury, Harper had three double-doubles through nine games and was a rebound short of her fourth in her last outing of the season vs. Coppin State. France had her first double-double of the year in the championship game of the Terrapin Classic. For a player-by-player breakdown, check page five.
• Five current Terrapins have reached double-doubles:
Player Career 2004-05 Charmaine Carr 1 0 Kalika France 2 1 Laura Harper 3 3 Crystal Langhorne 9 9 Angel Ross 3 0
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. Her 344 career helpers ranks 12th overall in the Terrapin record books. Smith has had four double-digit assist games in her career, all this season.
• It took just one season, but sophomore Shay Doron has already made her way into the Maryland record books. After making her mark on the free throw record, she has her sights set on the three-point charts. She is seventh all-time with 53 treys after entering the season ranked 10th in the school record books. Her 168 attempts behind the three-point line are also seventh.
Harper Sidelined
• Freshman Laura Harper suffered an Achilles tendon injury of her left ankle at practice on Monday night and will be sidelined for the remainder of the season. She will undergo surgery to repair the tendon later this week.
• Harper, who comes to College Park after earning McDonald's and Parade All-America honors as a high school senior and helped the USA Junior World Championship team to a gold medal this summer, was named ACC Rookie of the Week on Nov. 29. Averaging 13.2 points per game while leading the conference in rebounding with 9.8 boards per game, she posted three double-doubles this season, including a 17-point and 16-rebound outing vs. No. 1 LSU.
Doron's Diary
• Get up close and personal with sophomore Shay Doron. Read her diary on www.espn.com every two weeks or by going through www.umterps.com.
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.
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 Mention All-American in its college basketball preview edition. She was also voted to the Preseason All-ACC squad at the ACC's Media Day.
Up Next
• Terps return to College Park for the first of two home contests. Maryland hosts Wake Forest in the only meeting between the teams on Thursday, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m.
