Follow the Terps in Europe
HERZOGENBURG, Austria - Trailing by 14 at the half, the NCAA Champion Terrapin women's basketball team used a 10-0 run to open the third quarter and get to within four points, then eventually forced overtime and defeated Herzogenburg, 86-83, in an exhibition game in Austria. Sophomore Laura Harper and freshman Marissa Coleman each tallied 16 points to led Maryland to victory.
Coleman (Cheltenham, Md./St. John's College [D.C.]) and Harper (Elkins Park, Pa./Cheltenham) paced five double-figure scorers. Sophomore Ashleigh Newman (Shelbyville, Tenn./Shelbyville Central) added 15, while classmate Crystal Langhorne (Willingboro, N.J./Willingboro) and freshman Kristi Toliver (Harrisonburg, Va./Harrisonburg) netted 13 and 12 points, respectively.
The Terps knocked down its first two buckets of the game, but then went cold as Herzongenburg went on a 7-0 run to take a 7-5 lead. The Austrian squad continued to pad its lead, jumping in front, 24-13, at the end of the first quarter.
In the second stanza, Maryland trailed by as much as 15 on three separate occasions, but scored four-straight points before closing out the half, to cut the deficit to 41-30. However, Edit Szoke hit a trey with seconds remaining to push the Herzongenburg advantage to 44-30.
The Terps used the 10-0 tear at the start of the third quarter to get back into the game and cut the lead to 44-40 before closing out the period behind by that margin, 60-56. Maryland opened the final quarter with a layup from junior Aurelie Noirez (Vandoeuvre, France) and then a three-pointer from Toliver, giving the team its first lead since the opening minutes, 61-60.
Herzongenburg regained the lead and went ahead by as many as eight points, 73-65. But threes from Coleman and Newman down the stretch aided the Terps' cause to tie the game up at 77-77.
In the extra period, Herozenburg took the first lead, 78-77, but Maryland answered with a Langhorne layup and a pair of free throws from Jade Perry (Central City, Ky./Muhlenberg North), giving the Terps an 82-78 cushion. The cushion was enough to keep the home team from making a comeback and, therefore, picking up its first win of the Terps European tour.
Maryland departs for Prague, Czech Republic, on Monday morning and plays Sparta Prague Club at 6 p.m. that evening.
