Maryland Women's Basketball Faces Top Teams in 2007-08
8/22/2007 8:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Aug. 22, 2007
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COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Another exciting season it slated to tip off for the Maryland women's basketball team, beginning with the Preseason Women's National Invitational Tournament on Friday, Nov. 9. The Terps, who are looking to make a fifth-straight trip to the NCAA Tournament, will face at least 17 teams who advanced to the postseason in 2007, including seven teams who ended the season ranked in the national top 25 poll. Additionally, the Terps, who return four starters and eight letterwinners overall, will play six nationally televised games.
"I'm excited about the strength of our overall schedule," said head coach Brenda Frese, who enters her sixth season with the Terps. "We will be tested early in our non-conference schedule, playing in the WNIT and prestigious events like the State Farm Tip-Off and Jimmy V Classic, as well as, the always tough ACC. I feel we will have one of the strongest schedules in the country. Not only do I think our fans will enjoy the competition, but I know it will help prepare our team for March."
Princeton visits Comcast Center on Nov. 9 to, not only kick off the 2007-08 campaign, but also tip off the Preseason WNIT. The 16 teams in the tournament are guaranteed at least three games and the field features some of the top teams in the nation in LSU, Michigan State and Notre Dame. The WNIT champion will be decided on Sunday, Nov. 18.
After their game against the Tigers, the Terps will take a quick break from the WNIT to participate in the State Farm Tip-Off Classic, facing defending Big 12 Champion Oklahoma. The game, which will be played in Chapel Hill, N.C., pits two of the top post players in the country in Maryland's Crystal Langhorne (Willingboro, N.J./Willingboro) and the Sooners' Courtney Paris. The two were also teammates this summer on the USA U21 World Championship team. It will be the first of three games on ESPN2 for the Terps.
Maryland hosts local-foe Loyola on Tuesday, Nov. 20 before taking off to the West Coast over the Thanksgiving break. The Gauchos of UC Santa Barbara host the Terps the day after Thanksgiving on Friday, Nov. 23, then Maryland goes to traditional power UCLA on Sunday, Nov. 25 for a televised affair on Fox Sports Net.
Returning home for a two-game stint, the Terps revive their rivalry with up-and-coming Pittsburgh, who was in the top 25 last year, on Nov. 27. It will be the first meeting between the teams since 1982. Following that game, Maryland will participate in the inaugural Big Ten/ACC Challenge and host defending Big Ten Champion Ohio State on Nov. 30.
Another big game is on the slate as the Terrapins open the month of December traveling to Rutgers, the 2007 NCAA runner up, for the Jimmy V Classic on Dec. 3. Televised on ESPN2, the game pits Maryland's three Wade Trophy national player of the year candidates in Langhorne, sophomore Marissa Coleman (Cheltenham, Md./St. John's College [D.C.]) and classmate Kristi Toliver (Harrisonburg, Va./Harrisonburg) against the Scarlet Knight's three national player of the year candidates in Matee Ajavon, Essence Carson and Kia Vaughan. It will also be the first meeting between the teams in almost a decade.
Closing out the calendar year with five of its next six games at Comcast Center, Maryland begins the stretch with top-25 opponent Middle Tennessee State on Dec. 5. Northern Iowa visits College Park for the first time on Dec. 7, then nationally-ranked foe Temple makes its first trip back since 1990 on Dec. 9.
After taking a break for final exams, the Terps visit Toliver's hometown to battle one of 14 2007 NCAA Tournament teams, James Madison, on Dec. 20. After the holidays, they return home for the annual Terrapin Classic, Dec. 28-30, which takes on a new format this season. One game will be played on each of the three days, with local teams Richmond and UMBC participating.
The ACC slate begins just after the new year, as Maryland alternates home and away games through the month of January. Opening conference play on Jan. 3, the Terps travel to Wake Forest, then also hit the road for games at Boston College on Jan. 10, at Virginia on Jan. 18 and at North Carolina Jan. 26. The game against the Cavaliers will be televised on the ACC's Regional Sports Network, while Maryland's second trip of the season to Chapel Hill will mark the fourth nationally-televised game on Fox Sports.
At home, Maryland hosts Clemson on Jan. 6, then has a Monday night ESPN2 contest on Jan. 14 against Duke. Over the last four years, the Terps have set ACC attendance records against the Blue Devils, selling out Comcast Center last year, tying the ACC attendance mark of 17,950, a record the Terps set earlier in the season against the Tar Heels.
On Jan. 20, Georgia Tech comes to Comcast Center, while Miami closes out the month in College Park on Jan. 31.
Down the final stretch, Maryland travels to Virginia Tech for another Monday night clash on Feb. 4, which can be seen on the ACC's Regional Sports Network. Later that week on Feb. 8, the Terps will once again be on the air regionally when they host UVA to close out the home-and-home series.
The Terps remain home to play BC on Feb. 14, then take off for their third trip down the triangle area to battle Duke for another nationally televised game on Fox Sports Net on Feb. 17.
Florida State closes out Maryland's home slate on Feb. 24 and the season wraps up at NC State on March 2. It will be the first time since the 1993-94 campaign Maryland will be playing a regular-season game in the month of March.
Maryland will be on the hunt for its ninth ACC Tournament title and the first since 1989, March 6-9. The Greensboro Coliseum will once again host the event, which will have seven games televised either regionally or nationally.
Looking to make another trip to the Big Dance, Comcast Center is one of eight predetermined sites for the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament. The arena site will host its games March 23 and 25, and, should Maryland earn one of the 64 bids, its first- and second-round games will be played at Comcast Center.
The Sweet 16 and Elite Eight are slated for March 29-April 1. The 2008 Final Four will be held in sunny Tampa, Fla., April 6 and 8 at the St. Pete Times Forum.
Season tickets are currently on sale with prices starting as low as $75, including Preseason WNIT tickets and tickets to the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. In addition, Family 4-Packs are also available for as low as $199. Single-game tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, Oct. 12. Season tickets can be purchased by visiting www.umterps.com, stopping by the Terrapin Ticket Office at Comcast Center or calling 1-800-IM-A-TERP.
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