"Hi, I'm Brenda." That's how Coach Frese introduced herself this afternoon to a roomful of the Maryland faithful at a post-game reception. Needless to say, she didn't really need any introduction. And as the Maryland team demonstrated today on national television, neither do they.

If you're reading this blog, then chances are that you were at the game along with the BasketCases at Comcast Center watching the awesome performance that the reigning national champs put on in pounding , dismantling, and routing the #19 ranked Michigan State Spartans by a score of 97-57. If you weren't there --- because you live too far away, or you're forbidden to travel on doctor's orders, or perhaps you're serving time in prison (and the BasketCases want to give a special shout-out to all those inmate fans of Coach B!) --- hopefully you watched CBS's broadcast of the game on national televison. So, we're assuming you saw what we saw, and we only have one question for you . . . wasn't that fun?

Today's win set a Maryland record for best start ever, 17-0, marking the first time that the Terps have concluded nonconference play undefeated. Once again showing tremendous balance, the Terps had five players in double figures. Crystal Langhorne, who, during the fall non-conference schedule, had been quietly putting up double-digit scores, dominated in the paint today against MSU. In the early going, 6'9" Spartan center Allyssa DeHaan blocked a few Maryland shots, but then Lang decided it was time to show the freshman how an All-American responds. Lang finished with 28 points (on 13 of 14 shooting) and 9 rebounds. Kristi ("the shot") Toliver helped Lang break the game open early, hitting four (4!) three-pointers in the first half, leading MSU Coach Joanne P. McCallie to call KT "the key to the game." Then, coming off the bench (and what a bench it is!), Jade Perry recorded a double-double (12 points and 10 rebounds) in only 17 minutes.

Until today, no team this season had scored more than 71 points against Michigan State. Until today.

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Note: In the last game of CBS's "triple-header" today, Tennessee managed to hang on to beat UConn in Hartford, thus removing the Huskies from the ranks of the undefeated. This leaves only three Division-I teams in the unbeaten column, and they all happen to be . . . you guessed it . . . from the ACC: Maryland, Carolina and Duke.

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Sunday Morning Update. The Washington Post's George Solomon leads off his weekly column with some very flattering remarks about the Terps.

Photo Credit: DC BasketCases (Coach B waving to her favorite bloggers)