National Champion Terps No. 1 in Preseason Poll
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Like it had all last season, the National Champion Maryland women's basketball team used balanced scoring to defeat the Lake Truck All-Stars, 80-64, as four Terrapins reached double figures in the only exhibition game of the preseason in Comcast Center on Thursday night. National player of the year candidate senior Shay Doron led all scorers with 14 points.
The Terrapins' shooting was on fire to start the game. After missing their first two shots of the half, the Terps made their next six to take a 12-4 early lead. Maryland shot 54.1 percent in the first 20 minutes, with its biggest lead coming at the 2:07 mark as junior Jade Perry's (Central City, Ky./Muhlenberg North) layup put Maryland out in front by 23, 46-23.
After the break, Maryland continued to build its lead. The Lake Truck All-Stars came within 55-38 with 17:06 remaining in the game on a pair of free throws by Nikki Blue, former UCLA standout. But the Terps proceeded to go on a 20-6 run over the next six-and-a-half minutes to swell the margin to its largest of the evening, 75-44. Maryland scored just five points down the stretch, while the All-Stars tacked on 20 points to end with the final margin of 80-64, but damage had already been done.
Doron (Ramat Hasharon, Israel/Christ the King [N.Y.]) added six rebounds to go with her team-high 14-point effort. Junior Laura Harper (Elkins Park, Pa./Cheltenham) added 13, Perry contributed 11 on 5-for-8 shooting, and sophomore Marissa Coleman (Cheltenham, Md./St. John's College [D.C.]), also a national player of the year candidate, had 10 points and seven rebounds. Player of the Year candidate Crystal Langhorne (Willingboro, N.J./Willingboro) was perfect from the field, going 3-for-3 and had a total of eight points, with eight rebounds and three assists in 19 minutes.
Leading the way for Lake Truck was Brandi Teamer's 11 points, with Ke-Ke Tardy tallying 10.
Maryland opens the 2006-07 campaign at Middle Tennessee State on Friday, Nov. 10, where the Terps are expected to play in front of a capacity crowd. They will make their home debut on Sunday, Nov. 12 against George Mason when the National Championship banner will be unveiled. The game versus the Patriots will be televised live on Comcast SportsNet.
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