Rivalry Renewed: Terps Get Ready To Continue Storied Series With North Carolina

The Terps are 284 miles away from College Park, but there’s a sense of nostalgia in the air. 

A timeless rivalry will be renewed on Sunday after a 12-year hiatus separated the two teams that love to play in big moments. Maryland and North Carolina seemed to be on a collision course since Selection Sunday. After the Terps and Tar Heels took care of business against their respective First Round opponents, the scene was set for an all-time classic.

“We've gotten a lot of questions about ‘don't we wish we were hosting’, but we're just so excited to be a part of March Madness,” Oluchi Okananwa said. “Knowing our previous successes on the court, we have no reason to drop in any level of our confidence.”

Maryland and UNC have faced each other 14 times on neutral floors. The first-ever matchup between the two East Coast powerhouses in 1976 took place in Charlottesville, Virginia, and the two have battled in 12 different ACC tournaments between 1979 and 2014. 

Maryland boasts a 7-5 all-time record against UNC in ACC Tournament play — including six wins within the Tar Heel State — giving the Terps a slight historical edge to take into Sunday. 

But there’s another game — a key moment in Maryland history — that stands above all other memories involving Carolina Blue.

In 76 previous meetings, the Terps and Tar Heels have only ever met once before in the NCAA Tournament. Maryland fans fondly recall an 81-70 win over North Carolina in the 2006 Final Four in Boston en route to the program’s first national championship.

“It is ironic that this weekend is on the heels of the 20th anniversary,” Brenda Frese said. “When you talk about that '06 year and beating them in a Final Four, you couldn't have scripted it any better than playing UNC in the Final Four and then Duke in the championship.”

Maryland also has a not-so-secret weapon with plenty of experience against the Tar Heels. Okananwa faced UNC five times in her two seasons at Duke, and beat North Carolina thrice.

“Our coaches have drawn up an amazing game plan,” Okananwa said. “One far better than I could have ever drawn up, despite playing them for two years, so that’s really exciting.”

UNC head coach Courtney Banghart described Okananwa as an “easy player to root for”, citing her toughness and motor as prominent features of an All-Big Ten caliber player.

However, Maryland is set to attack from every angle. Six different Terps have led the team in scoring at least twice so far this season, and it’s never clear who will make the biggest impact until the ball is tipped, keeping opponents guessing and Maryland soaring.

“It's so much fun,” freshman Addi Mack said. “I think having that ability to be so versatile and being able to know that any single person on the court is such a threat, I think that's something that makes us really special. It's really beautiful and really fun to play in.”

The Terps are not strangers to meeting the moment, especially on the road. In the regular season, all six of Maryland’s Quad 1 wins came away from College Park. Frese’s squad knows what it takes to take the energy out of a building and flip the momentum for the red, black, and gold.

“I'm so incredibly confident in my teammates,” Okananwa said. “I think last night shows our depth and how dangerous we are. We have so many people that can step up, especially our freshmen, who were so incredibly fearless. It just instills in me a lot of confidence, and gets me really excited, because depth is what you need in order to go far in this tournament.”

Maryland practiced with crowd noise on Saturday to prepare for the ruckus of Carmichael Arena, and know how key it’ll be to take the hostile home crowd out of Sunday’s contest early. The Terps are 19-5 this season when leading at the half, 21-3 when leading after three quarters, and a perfect 22-0 when leading with five minutes to play.

“Your body of work prepares you to go on the road,” Frese said. “They know how important it is to be able to set the tone early. I think at this point of the year, everyone knows what the stakes are, and you want to be able to win the game so you can advance. I know they'll be ready to play tomorrow.”

Both teams are aware that Sunday’s game will be a defining moment in a rich series history. Both squads are wanting to own the latest chapter. Both Maryland and UNC are ready to battle to keep their seasons alive. 

But this dance floor only has room for one team. If history has told us anything, it’s that the Terps have the advantage when the calendar turns to March, but it’ll take a complete game from Maryland to overcome the madness.