Jan. 2, 2009

Fresh off its sixth straight Terrapin Classic championship, the Maryland women's basketball team is on its way to Richmond to take on the Richmond Spiders in one final non-conference test before opening Atlantic Coast Conference play.

No. 14/16 Maryland (11-2) has won four in a row and 11 of its last 12. In the recently completed Terrapin Classic, junior Demauria Liles was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament after scoring a combined 26 points and pulling down 16 rebounds in the wins over UNC Asheville and Mississippi State. Sophomore Marah Strickland, who earned her first career double-double with career-highs of 21 points and 10 rebounds against UNC Asheville, also earned all-tournament recognition.

Maryland dispatched of UNC Asheville with ease, claiming a 90-57 victory, tying its best offensive output of the year. In addition to Strickland's big outing, the Terps were boosted by redshirt-freshman Anjale Barrett, who dished out a career-best nine assists in her first start with the Terps. Barrett added five points.

In the championship game, the Terrapins led nearly throughout in claiming an 80-73 victory over the previously-unbeaten Lady Bulldogs of Mississippi State. In that contest, senior guard Kristi Toliver led the team with 24 points, adding eight assists against just one turnover.

On Saturday, Maryland will square off with a Richmond Spiders team which is, like itself, 11-2 on the young season. Like Maryland, Richmond has played the majority of its schedule thus far on the road, going 8-1 away from the Robins Center. The Spiders are led by Brittani Shells, who is scoring 16.8 points a contest.

The game will be aired on WMUC Sports, available online at www.WMUCSports.com. Tip off between the Terps and Spiders is set for 3 p.m.

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