March 26, 2006
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By KATE HEDLIN
STATS Writer
ALBUQUERQUE - Maryland looks to reach the Final Four for the first time in 17 years when the Terrapins take on Utah, the lowest-seeded team to ever advance this far in the NCAA tournament, in Monday's Albuquerque Regional final.
The second-seeded Terrapins (31-4) take on the fifth-seeded Utes (27-6) after knocking off defending national champion Baylor 82-63 on Saturday. Crystal Langhorne matched a career-high with 34 points and added 15 rebounds for the Terps, who jumped to leads of 14-2 and 23-13.
Langhorne scored the game's first eight points.
"We kept pounding it in to her and they couldn't stop her," said Maryland's Marissa Coleman, who scored 15 points. "Our energy was up from the tip and we intimidated our opponent. We kept it going all game."
The impressive victory over the third-seeded Lady Bears followed a hard-fought second-round win over No. 7 seed St. John's, which gave Maryland a battle before falling 81-74 on Tuesday.
Now Langhorne, averaging 26.3 points during the NCAA tournament, looks to lead the Terps to their first Final Four appearance since 1989.
"We thought we could win the national championship before every one of our games," Langhorne said. "I think this just gives us more confidence."
Maryland will be taking on a Utah squad that hung on for a 57-54 victory over No. 8 seed Boston College on Saturday. The Eagles missed three 3-pointers in the final 17 seconds that would have tied it.
"We felt like we could win games," Utah coach Elaine Elliott said of the Utes' run in the tournament. "That's probably what got us through the end. It wasn't one of those games where people are making plays to win."
Reserve Joh-Teena Filipe matched her season high with 11 points, and Shona Thorburn and Julie Larsen each scored 10 to help Utah overcome a poor shooting night from leading scorer Kim Smith. The senior had just seven points, more than 12 below her average, in only the second game this season in which she failed to break double figures. Smith finished 3-for-13 from the field.
While Utah had to hold on at the end Saturday, the Utes did lead for most of the game, unlike their first two contests when they had to rally from 15-point deficits against Middle Tennessee State and Arizona State. The Utes, making their first appearance in the regional final, are the first No. 5 seed to reach this round.
"I'm so proud of our team and how far we've come," Thorburn said. "It's just so exciting and I wouldn't want to do it with anyone else."
