COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP)-- Marissa Coleman and Kristi Toliver are determined to end their collegiate careers the same way they started.
Coleman scored a career-high 32 points, Toliver added 27 and No. 5 Maryland beat Boston College 86-74 on Friday night in the Terrapins' final regular-season home game. The majority of the 11,058 in attendance remained in their seats following the game as the pair of Terrapin seniors witnessed their numbers raised to the Comcast Center rafters.
"They continue to put this team on their back," Maryland coach Brenda Frese said. "We needed to get a quick start and needed to be ready from the tip. We've been able to ride the hot hand of these two."
The Terps won the national title when the guards were freshmen in 2006, and the two are hoping to cap their stellar careers with another championship. Their numbers joined the remaining three starters from that '06 championship team.
"I just think there's a sense of urgency in both of us," Coleman said. "When you're seniors, you don't want your senior year to end."
Coleman, the two-time reigning Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Week, was just one rebound shy of her second straight double-double. She added three assists, a steal and a block.
Maryland (24-4, 11-2 ACC) moved into a first-place tie with Florida State in the ACC, and can clinch its first regular-season title in 20 years with a win in Sunday's regular-season finale at Miami.
Coleman and Toliver scored Maryland's first 30 points after combining for 58 points in last Sunday's win over then-No. 7 Duke. Coleman went 12-for-19 from the field and 6-for-6 from the line against BC, and Toliver made eight of 16 shots and eight of nine free throws.
"They're incredible players," Boston College coach Sylvia Crawley said. "They came out hot in the first five minutes."
Toliver dished out five assists with a steal. Junior Demauria Liles, a junior college transfer in her first year with the Terps, netted seven points with six boards and two blocks.
Mickel Picco led Boston College (18-10, 6-7) with 18 points. Lauren Whitehurst added 16 and Stefanie Murphy finished with 15.
Maryland never trailed in the contest as the senior duo got the Terps out to a double-digit lead six minutes into the game. After entering intermission up 45-37, Maryland allowed BC to make things interesting in the second half. The Eagles got to within four points at the 13:37 mark, 57-53, on a Murphy jumper in the lane.
The Terps quickly jumped back ahead by nine, but the resilient Eagles fought back to close the gap to three points, thanks in part to a pair of Picco 3-pointers in a two-minute stretch. A Frese timeout sparked the Terps to an 11-4 run, capped by a Liles bucket plus a free throw.
Freshman Anjale Barrett's second trey of the night put Maryland ahead 79-68 with just over four minutes remaining. Coleman put an exclamation point on the night with a traditional three-point play with 1:24 on the clock to break her previous career-high of 30 points and finish with 32.
Freshman center Lynetta Kizer recorded 10 points for Maryland with four rebounds. Barrett netted six points on a 2-for-2 night from the 3-point line along with a pair of assists.
The win moved Maryland to 9-0 all-time versus Boston College and extended its home win streak to 34 games.
The Terps will close out the regular season on Sunday at 2 p.m. at Miami with the chance to win its first league regular season crown since 1989.
Additional material was added to this Associated Press story
