April 4, 2006
BOSTON (AP) - Maryland coach Brenda Frese twice stepped onto the court - the first time to savagely rip into slumping star Marissa Coleman, and a second to celebrate the Terrapins' first national championship with her.
In the end, it was Coleman who calmly hit a pair of free throws with 13.4 remaining in overtime to seal the Terrapins' 78-75 win over Duke Tuesday, capping a 13-point comeback and Frese's quick rise among the nation's elite.
"Every player on this team stepped up and made big shots," said Frese, who spent much of the first half flashing gnashed teeth, squeezing her head in her hands and beaming intense glares at her players in what looked like a blowout in the making.
But there was method to Frese's madness, as she seemed to single-handedly will the second-biggest comeback in NCAA women's finals history. And when the game went to overtime - where the Terps were 6-0 this year - Frese cooled off.
"Overtime," she said, "is our time."
It could very well be Frese's time for a while now.
In her four years at Maryland, Frese revived a program that hadn't been to the Final Four since 1989. She arrived in 2002 after a year at Minnesota where she was honored as AP coach of the year.
After going 10-18 in her first season at Maryland, Frese led the Terps to three straight NCAA appearances - and then this, a record-breaking year. The Terps 33-4 record is the most wins by any Maryland basketball team, men or women.
Frese' starting lineup was young, yet feisty, much like their coach. She started two freshman, two sophomores and a junior.
She paced the sidelines for 45 minutes Tuesday night, alternately stomping, cheering, and when necessary, getting right into the face of whatever player needed it. Late in the first half, it was Coleman, a freshman wing, who drew the coach's ire. Duke had just fired off a 5-0 run to go up 34-21 and Coleman sagged with frustration trotting up the floor and glaring at her teammates. At the next timeout, Frese met her halfway out and lit into her.
It worked.
Coleman helped lead the second half turnaround, scoring 6 points, all on fadeway jumpers in a 13-6 Maryland run. Her bucket with 6:51 left in regulation pulled the Terps within one at 57-56.
Time and again her young team played like veterans. Freshman guard Kristi Toliver hit a 3-pointer with 6.1 seconds left to tie it at 70-70 to send the game into overtime. The Terps hit all six of their free throws in the extra period to keep Duke at bay. When Duke's last chance - a 3-point attempt by Jessica Foley - fell short at the buzzer, Frese hugged her assistants then hurried back out to join her young champions.
They had been waiting for her.
