Aug. 25, 2005
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
2005-06 Maryland Women's Basketball Schedule in PDF Format
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The Maryland women's basketball team will face one of the most challenging schedules since head coach Brenda Frese took over the reigns four years ago. The schedule includes four teams ranked in the final top 10 last season, and five ranked among the top 25 overall.
"We are looking forward to facing the most challenging schedule since coming to College Park. Our non-conference slate will prepare us for the rigors of the ACC," fourth-year head coach Brenda Frese said. "Our trip to the Virgin Islands for the Paradise Jam will not only be fun, but will show us where we stand against some of the elite programs."
Featured on the schedule are NCAA finalist Michigan State and perennial powerhouse and NCAA Final Four participant Tennessee. To toughen up the schedule, the Terps travel to ACC Champion North Carolina, Virginia Tech and NC State for the only meetings of the season, while also playing a home-and-home series versus Boston College, Duke and Virginia - three teams that earned an NCAA Tournament bid.
Maryland opens the 2005-06 season at Siena on Nov. 18 then opens the home slate on Nov. 20 vs. Xavier, who tied for the Atlantic-10 West Division title and advanced to the third round of the 2005 WNIT.
The Terps travel to the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands over the Thanksgiving holiday to battle the Spartans and the Lady Vols. MSU earned a No. 2 final ranking in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, while UT was tabbed No. 4. Maryland also plays West Coast Conference regular-season champion Gonzaga.
When the Terrapins return home, they host Appalachian State on Dec. 1, followed by intrastate foe Mount St. Mary's on Dec. 5. After a short trip to Monmouth on Dec. 7, the Terps' host Frese's alma mater Arizona on Dec. 11. The Wildcats, who are led by Wooden Award and Wade Trophy candidate Shawntinice Polk, will be looking to avenge last season's loss to the Terps. Last year, Maryland claimed an overtime victory over Arizona, after then-freshman Jade Perry (Central City, Ky./Muhlenberg North) hit a jumper with less than a second remaining in regulation to send the game into overtime.
Coppin State visits College Park on Dec. 13. The Mid-Eastern Athletic Champions are one of 11 teams the Terps will be playing who reached the 2005 NCAA Tournament.
The Terps renew their rivalry with nearby foe George Mason on Dec. 22 for the first meeting between the teams since 1990.
Maryland hosts the annual Terrapin Classic Dec. 29 and 30, with Central Connecticut State, Furman and UMES completing the four-team bracket, then opens the New Year hosting Manhattan on Jan. 2 before jumping into the ACC portion of the schedule.
"With the addition of Boston College, the ACC is, without a doubt, the premier women's basketball conference in the nation," Frese said. "Once again, we are looking forward to our annual nationally-televised game against Duke, while also looking to contend for an ACC title and an NCAA Tournament bid."
Maryland opens the ACC slate with five-consecutive games against NCAA Tournament teams. The Terps welcome Boston College into the league with a trip up north on Jan. 5. BC finished the season ranked in the top 25 in both national polls.
The Terps' first ACC home game on Jan. 8 will be a regionally televised game against Duke, followed by another TV contest against Florida State on the afternoon of Jan. 16, Martin Luther King Day, after a week off. When the Blue Devils visited Comcast Center last year, Maryland broke the ACC single-game women's basketball attendance record, when 17,243 fans showed up to support the Terps.
Maryland travels to Virginia and Virginia Tech on Jan. 20 and 23 for two more television games, then return to Comcast on Jan. 26 to square off with Georgia Tech in the only regular-season meeting.
Maryland's furthest trip south in the continental U.S. will be its road trip to Wake Forest on Jan. 29. After two games at home vs. Miami on Feb. 1 and Virginia on Feb. 5 to close out the home-and-home series, the Terps take on the ACC Champion Tar Heels in Carmichael Auditorium. Last season, Maryland accounted for one of just four Tar Heel loses last season, and was the only double-digit setback North Carolina suffered.
For the third-consecutive year, Maryland plays Duke on national television. The Terps' contest at Cameron Indoor Stadium will be televised on ESPN2.
After a home game vs. Boston College on Feb. 16, the Terps play their final regular-season road game, a television game at NC State on Feb. 19. A Feb. 23 matchup vs. Clemson closes out the ACC schedule and Northern Colorado visits Comcast Center for the second-straight year to close out the regular season slate on Feb. 26.
The ACC Tournament will be held in Greensboro, N.C., once again. The tournament begins Thursday, March 2 with the championship game taking place Sunday, March 5. The semifinals (March 4) and final will be televised nationally.
The Terps will be looking to make their third-straight NCAA Tournament appearance as the first and second rounds begin March 18-21. The Final Four takes place in Boston, April 2 and 4.
Maryland will tune-up vs. EA Sports in an exhibition game on Nov. 12 before opening up the regular season. Tip off will be announced at a later date.
The Terps are coming off a 22-10 season, the most wins for the program since 1992-93, advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the second-consecutive year. Nine letterwinners and four starters return, inlcuding Wade Trophy and Wooden Award candidates sophomore Crystal Langhorne (Willingboro, N.J./Willingboro) and junior Shay Doron (Great Neck, N.Y./Christ the King).
Regionally televised games air on Comcast SportsNet, Fox Sports Net South and Sun Sports.
2005-06 Maryland Women's Basketball Schedule
Saturday Nov. 12 EA SPORTS (EXH.) College Park, Md. TBA
Friday Nov. 18 Siena Loudonville, N.Y. 7 p.m.
Sunday Nov. 20 XAVIER College Park, Md. 2 p.m.
Thur.-Sat. Nov. 24-26 Paradise Jam at U.S. Virgin Islands
vs. Tennessee, Michigan State and Gonzaga
Thursday Dec. 1 APPALACHIAN STATE College Park, Md. 7 p.m.
Monday Dec. 5 MOUNT ST. MARY'S College Park, Md. 7 p.m.
Wednesday Dec. 7 Monmouth West Long Branch, N.J. 7 p.m.
Sunday Dec. 11 ARIZONA College Park, Md. 1 p.m.
Tuesday Dec. 13 COPPIN STATE College Park, Md. 7 p.m.
Thursday Dec. 22 George Mason Fairfax, Va. 7 p.m.
Thur.-Fri. Dec. 29-30 TERRAPIN CLASSIC at University of Maryland
Thursday Dec. 29 Furman vs. UMES College Park, Md. 5 p.m.
CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE College Park, Md. 7 p.m.
Friday Dec. 30 Central Conn. State vs. Furman/UMES College Park, Md. 5 p.m.
FURMAN/UMES College Park, Md. 7 p.m.
Monday Jan. 2 MANHATTAN College Park, Md. 7 p.m.
Thursday Jan. 5 at Boston College* Chestnut Hill, Mass. 7 p.m.
Sunday Jan. 8 DUKE* (RSN) College Park, Md. 1 p.m.
Monday Jan. 16 FLORIDA STATE* (RSN) College Park, Md. 4:30 p.m.
Friday Jan. 20 at Virginia* (RSN) Charlottesville, Va. 7 p.m.
Monday Jan. 23 at Virginia Tech* (RSN) Blacksburg, Va. 7 p.m.
Thursday Jan. 26 GEORGIA TECH* College Park, Md. 7 p.m.
Sunday Jan. 29 at Wake Forest* Winston-Salem, N.C. 3 p.m.
Wednesday Feb. 1 MIAMI* College Park, Md. 7 p.m.
Sunday Feb. 5 VIRGINIA* College Park, Md. 5 p.m.
Thursday Feb. 9 at North Carolina* Chapel Hill, N.C. 7 p.m.
Monday Feb. 13 at Duke* (ESPN2) Durham, N.C. 7:30 p.m.
Thursday Feb. 16 BOSTON COLLEGE* College Park, Md. 7 p.m.
Sunday Feb. 19 at NC State* (RSN) Raleigh, N.C. 1 p.m.
Thursday Feb. 23 CLEMSON* College Park, Md. 7 p.m.
Sunday Feb. 26 NORTHERN COLORADO College Park, Md. 2 p.m.
Thur.-Sun. March 2-5 ACC Tournament
Greensboro Coliseum Complex Greensboro, N.C.
Sat.-Tue. March 18-21 NCAA Tournament First and Second Rounds
Allstate Arena (Chicago)
Pepsi Center (Denver, Colo.)
Memorial Gymnasium (Nashville, Tenn.)
Ted Constant Convocation Center (Norfolk, Va.)
Sovereign Bank Arena (Trenton, N.J.)
McKale Center (Tucson, Ariz.)
Bryce Jordan Center (University Park, Pa.
Mackey Arena (West Lafayette, Ind.)
Sat.-Tue. March 25-28 NCAA Tournament Regional Sites
East - Bridgeport Arena at Harbor Yard (Bridgeport, Conn.)
Mideast - Gund Arena (Cleveland, Ohio)
Midwest - SBC Center (San Antonio, Texas)
"The Pit"/Bob King Court (Albuquerque, N.M.)
Sun. & Tue. April 2 & 4 NCAA Tournament Final Four
Fleet Center (Boston)
All Home Games in Bold Caps are played at Comcast Center. All times are tentative and Eastern time.
* Denotes ACC Games; TV - RSN (Comcast SportsNet, Fox Sports Net South, Sun Sports), ESPN2 (national)
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