Feb. 21, 2009
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The No. 9/7-ranked Maryland women's basketball team opens up a two-game homestand on Sunday at the Comcast Center when it welcomes Atlantic Coast Conference rival No. 7/8 Duke in a nationally-televised contest on Fox Sports Net. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET.
The Terrapins (22-4, 9-2 ACC) are riding a six-game win streak and have won nine of their last 10 contests, going 3-1 versus ranked teams in that stretch. Maryland, coming off an 87-79 victory at Georgia Tech, looks to avenge a 68-65 setback to Duke on Jan. 12 in Durham, N.C.
The Terps and Devils (22-3, 9-2) are tied for second place in the ACC standings, each one game behind first place Florida State. Maryland handed the Seminoles their lone conference loss on Feb. 2 - four days after FSU defeated Duke in overtime.
Maryland center Lynetta Kizer enjoyed a career night in the Terps' last outing, Thursday at Georgia Tech, scoring a career-high 22 points with 10 rebounds. The Woodbridge, Va., native went 9-for-12 from the floor and recorded a career - and team season-high five steals with three blocks (t-career-high) and two assists. She is the ACC's top scorer (12.3 ppg) and rebounder (7.6 rpg) among the league's freshmen.
Terp senior guard/forward Marissa Coleman, whose No. 25 jersey will be raised to the Comcast Center rafters, along with fellow senior Kristi Toliver's No. 20, on Senior Night on Friday versus Boston College, is just 24 points shy of the 2,000-point plateau. Coleman would become just the eighth player in ACC history with 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in a career - and the second Terrapin to accomplish the feat (Crystal Langhorne).
Toliver paces the Terps in scoring with 17.4 points per game. Her 43.8 percent shooting from 3-point range is among the nation's best, helping Maryland to the No. 1 mark in the NCAA in 3-point shooting (42.3 percent).
Duke is led in scoring and rebounding by senior center/forward Chante Black's 15.2 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. Black (13 pts., 14 reb.) was one of two Blue Devils to post a double-double in their first meeting with Maryland, joining junior forward Joy Cheek's 14-point and 11-rebound effort against the Terps.
Duke outrebounded Maryland 56-39 in January and pulled down 26 offensive rebounds.
Maryland leads the all-time series, 35-33. The Terps can post their second seven-game win streak this season with a victory on Sunday. In its current six-game win streak, Maryland is outscoring its opponents by an average of 11.7 points and is shooting 49.9 pct and holding opponents to 38.8 pct during the stretch.
PARKING NOTE: Parking in Lot 4B is by permit only for Maryland's two remaining home games.
