March 23, 2006
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NCAA ALBUQUERQUE REGIONAL
The Pit/Bob King Court, Albuquerque, N.M.
Saturday, March 25 • Sweet Sixteen
Gm 1: #2 Maryland (30-4) vs. #3 Baylor (26-6), 9:00 p.m. EST (ESPN HD)
Gm 2: #5 Utah (26-6) vs. #8 Boston College (21-11), approx. 30 min. foll. (ESPN2 HD)
Monday, March 27 • Elite Eight
Gm 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, TBD (ESPN2 HD)
TV Talent: Nancy Lieberman (Analyst), Pam Ward (PxP) and Rob Stone (Sideline)
Radio: www.wmucsports.com
MARYLAND MAKES FIRST SWEET 16 APPEARANCE SINCE 1992
• The third-ranked and second-seeded Terrapins have reached the Sweet Sixteen for the sixth time in school history and the first time since 1992. Maryland is the highest seeded team in the Albuquerque bracket to advance and will face third-seeded Baylor, who is the defending NCAA Champion, on Saturday, March 25. Eighth-seeded Boston College and fi fth-seeded Utah will matchup in the other half of the bracket for a spot in
the Elite Eight.
• The game will be televised nationally on ESPN HD. Tip off is scheduled for 9 p.m. EST, with the Eagles-Utes game following 30 minutes after the conclusion of the Terps-Bears clash.
• Maryland is making its third-straight NCAA Tournament appearance under head coach Brenda Frese. The Sweet Sixteens appearance is also the fi rst in her head coaching career.
• While this will be the fi rst meeting between the teams, the Terps and the Bears have a historical connection. They are the only two teams to appear in the fi rst Associated Press poll in 1976 and in the 500th ranking, which was celebrated when the 2005 preseason poll was released.
TERPS IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
• Making its 15th NCAA Tournament appearance and third straight, Maryland is headed to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1992. It is also the first time since 1991-93 the Terps have made threeconsecutive trips to the Big Dance.
• In 15 NCAA appearances, the Terps have posted a 16-14 record all-time. En route to its sixth Sweet 16 in program history, Maryland has also reached the Final Four twice (1982 and 1989), while making four Elite Eight appearances.
• In 1989, the Terps earned their only No. 1 seed in program history. They have been a two seed five times, including this season. Maryland was also a No. 3 seed in 1983. The Terps have never been tabbed a four, five, 10 or 11 seed.
• In its three NCAA Tournament appearances under head coach Brenda Frese, the Terps improved from a 12 seed in 2003-04, to a No. 7 seed in 2004-05 and, finally, a No. 2 seed this season. Their third-straight second-round appearance marks the first time since 1990 the Terps had accomplished that feat. Maryland is the only No. 1 or No. 2 seed this season that was not in the tournament four years ago.
• A QUICK LOOK BACK: Maryland reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the second-straight year, falling to No. 2-seed Ohio State, 75-65. A No. 7 seed, the Terps opened the tournament with a 65-55 victory over 10th-seeded Wisconsin- Green Bay. Maryland was hosting an NCAA Tournament game at home for the first time since 1993.
ACC IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
• The No. 1 conference in the nation, the ACC claimed seven NCAA Tournament berths, tying for the most this season. The Big East also had seven of its teams earn tournament bids.
• Duke and North Carolina claimed two of the four No. 1 seeds in the tournament. The Tar Heels are the top seed in the Cleveland Regional, while the Blue Devils are the top team in the Bridgeport Regional. The Terps are the No. 2 seed in the Albuquerque Regional, with Boston College garnering the eighth seed in the bracket. Virginia Tech was the seventh seed in the Bridgeport Regional, while fifth-seeded NC State and sixth-seeded Florida State were in the San Antonio Regional.
• Six of the ACC's seven teams earning a bid advanced to the second round, with only NC State (San Antonio) being eliminated, falling to Tulsa, 71-61. In the second round, both Virginia Tech (Bridgeport) and Florida State
(San Antonio) were knocked out, but four teams advanced to the Sweet 16, the most of any conference.
• The ACC, who has posted a 133-28 mark (82.6 percent) against non-conference opponents during the regular season, is 23-7 (.767) against non-conference NCAA Tournament teams.
FRESE ONE OF FOUR NAISMITH FINALISTS
• In her fourth season at the Terrapin helm, head coach Brenda Frese was named one of four finalists for the Naismith Award Women's Coach of the Year, the Atlanta Tipoff Club recently announced. Also among the finalists are LSU's Pokey Chatman, Ohio State's Jim Foster and North Carolina's Sylvia Hatchell.
• Frese has accomplished something no other coach has done this season, guiding her Terps to a win over North Carolina, the Tar Heels' only loss of the season. She has also mentored Maryland to a school record 30 wins
while also guiding Maryland to its first Sweet Sixteen since 1992.
• In her first season in College Park, Frese's squad had won just 10 games. Four years later, she has lured three-straight top 10 recruiting classes, including two in the top five. The Terps are the only No. 1 or No. 2 seed in this year's tournament that was not in the postseason four years ago. The 2002 AP Coach of the Year, her teams have made 43 appearances in the AP poll (at Maryland and Minnesota), ranking 40th among active head coaches in the NCAA.
LANGHORNE A KODAK/WBCA ALL-AMERICAN FINALIST
• Sophomore Crystal Langhorne is one of 48 finalists for the 10-member Kodak/WBCA All-American Team, which was announced by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA). The top six players from eight regions were voted on by WBCA member coaches.
• The top six players in Region II are all ACC players, including Monique Currie and Lindsay Harding from Duke, Tamara James from Miami, and Erlana Larkins and Ivory Latta from North Carolina.
• Langhorne is also a finalist for the Wooden Award, presented to the nation's top women's basketball player.
UP NEXT
• The winner of the Sweet 16 matchup between defending national champion
Baylor and second-seeded Maryland goes on to the Elite Eight to face the winnerof the Boston College-Utah battle on Monday, March 27.
