Frese's Postgame News Conference Video |
Maryland-Rutgers Video Highlights
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) - Marissa Coleman posted her fifth double-double of the season with a 22-point, 10-rebound performance to lead No. 11/9 Maryland to its fifth straight victory, 67-47 over Rutgers on Sunday at Comcast Center.
Kristi Toliver scored 18 for the Terrapins (21-4, 8-2 Atlantic Coast Conference), who bolted to a 14-2 lead and never trailed in their 32nd consecutive win at home. Coleman went 5-for-12 from the floor but made 12-of-14 free throws, her third straight game with at least 10 free throw attempts.
Epiphanny Prince led Rutgers (14-10, 5-6 Big East) with 19 points, although her 7-for-29 shooting performance contributed to the Scarlet Knights' 25 percent field goal percentage. Rutgers was 5-for-26 from 3-point range, took only seven foul shots and committed 13 turnovers.
Maryland limited Rutgers to 7-for-37 shooting (19 percent) in the first half while building a 30-19 lead, although the Terps' 30 first-half points served as its lowest point total in the first half at home this season.
"I just thought we did a tremendous job, especially making Epiphanny Prince have to work for any shot she got," Maryland head coach Brenda Frese said. "I just thought we did a great job defensively, collectively as a team."
The Scarlet Knights quickly fell behind after missing 12 of their first 13 shots and committing four turnovers. Heather Zurich ended the drought with a 15-foot jumper, and minutes later Prince scored eight successive points to get within 16-14.
During that 12-2 run, however, Brittany Ray picked up her third foul and was forced to miss the remainder of the half. That put additional pressure on Prince, who went 3-for-13 from the floor before halftime.
"I thought Maryland played better defense than I have seen them play," Rutgers head coach C. Vivian Stringer said. "They were aggressive and they put pressure on us as a group. We had opportunities but this is the worst we have shot in over seven years, and we do a lot of shooting."
Ray was held scoreless (in 22 minutes) for the first time this season.
Rutgers was a bit more accurate in the second half, but never threatened to make a game of it. A 3-pointer by Toliver upped Maryland's lead to 41-25, and two foul shots by Coleman made it 50-33 with 9:14 remaining.
Coleman's 22 points marked the third straight game in which she has put up at least 20 points (a career-first).
Maryland extended its home winning streak to 32 consecutive games, dating back to the beginning of the 2007-08 season. Maryland has not lost a regular season non-conference home game since Dec. 3, 2003, an 82-65 loss to Penn State, a span of 44 games.
The attendance of 12,861 is the highest at Comcast Center this season. It is the ninth-highest attendance in ACC history, eclipsed only by eight other Maryland home contests (seven at Comcast Center, one at Cole Field House). Coming into today, Maryland lead the conference with an average of 7,216 fans a game.
The Terps will travel to Atlanta, Ga., to take on Georgia Tech in their next contest on Thursday.
Additional material was added to this Associated Press story
