Home Openers, like Homecomings, are supposed to be feel good games for the team and its fans. And that's what the re-tooled Terps delivered tonight. Hosting North Carolina Central (a D-I, but hardly formidable, opponent), Maryland raced out to an early lead and left no doubt as to the ultimate outcome. The Terps recorded their first regular season win, 88-39.

What the fans got tonight -- besides witnessing a lopsided victory -- were some glimpses of what we might see as this young team develops. We saw that in addition to dominating in the paint, Lynetta Kizer has added to her game, extending her range to include 15-foot jumpers. In only 21 minutes, Lynetta finished with a game high (and career high) 23 points (plus 8 boards). We also saw the amazing speed and passing ability of Freshman reserve PG Dara Taylor. We saw the shot-blocking potential of another Freshman reserve, 6'7" Essence Townsend. We saw another solid, athletic, double-figure performance from a local Freshman, Tianna Hawkins, who finished with 15 pts & 8 boards. And we saw the quiet, mature play of Freshman starter Diandra T, who also had a double-figure night with 11. We saw a good solid team effort.

So the regular season is finally underway. The Terps are 1-0, and the home win streak -- extending back two seasons -- remains intact. Next up, New Hampshire at Comcast on Monday night.

Photo Credit: DC BasketCases