Nov. 14, 2008
FORT WORTH, Texas -
Game Notes in PDF Format 
The Maryland women's basketball team is set to open its season Friday night when it takes on the Horned Frogs of TCU in Fort Worth, Texas. Tip off is set for 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time, and fans can watch the game on the Mountain Network, channel 616 on DirecTV.
Maryland is opening on the road for the fourth time in five seasons. The only exception was last year, when the Terrapins defeated Princeton in their season opener at Comcast Center, 76-52. Maryland has won its last nine season-openers, dating back to a 62-45 loss to UNC-Greensboro which opened the 1998-99 season.
The Terps are coming off a 33-4 season in 2007-08 which saw them record their second Elite Eight in three years and second 30-win season in program history. Kristi Toliver (Harrisonburg, Va.), who set an ACC record with 275 assists, was named the Nancy Lieberman Award recipient as the nation's top point guard. She was also named an AP All-American, just the fifth in program history.
With just three more assists, Toliver will also become the all-time assists leader in Maryland program history. She comes into the season with 581, just two behind Debbie Lytle, who dished out 583 from 1980-83.
Coming into this season, Toliver and the Terps once again have high expectations. Picked second in the Atlantic Coast Conference by the league's coaches and media, Maryland comes into the season ranked No. 3 in the Associated Press poll and No. 5 by the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll.
The ACC also expects several standout performances by Terps. Toliver and senior Marissa Coleman (Cheltenham, Md.) were named preseason first-team All-ACC, with Toliver tabbed as the Preseason Player of the Year in the conference. Meanwhile, freshman Lynetta Kizer (Woodbridge, Va.) was honored as the league's Preseason Rookie of the Year.
In addition to looking to capture its second national championship, Maryland will attempt to claim its ninth ACC Tournament title and first since 1989.
The excitement around the Terps, who have been picked in the top five in several early preseason polls and sixth in Athlon Magazine's rankings, has led to the highest preseason ticket sales in the history of the program. Fans are looking forward to a home slate that features marquee opponents such as UCLA, North Carolina, Duke and Rutgers as Maryland looks to match their 21-0 home mark from last season.
-TERPS-
