Fueled by Frosh

In the first half of tonight's match-up between Towson and the Terps, we were wondering if history might repeat itself . . . whether the Tigers, who pulled off an upset last season on their home court, might steal another win from Maryland, this time in Comcast.

For well over 20 minutes, it looked to the BCs like the Terps were playing uninspired, listless, tentative basketball. The Tigers kept hanging around, while Maryland struggled to gain the upper hand. It almost seemed like they were playing not to lose . . . and anybody who's been around sports knows how successful that approach usually works out.

But about 5 minutes into the second half, everything changed. A line-up consisting of the 4 active freshmen recruits (Alyssa, Natasha, Alicia and Laurin) plus 1 sophomore for good measure, quickly and decisively turned a slim one or two possession lead into a comfortable 14-point cushion. They did it with a combination of aggressive defense (steals, blocks and disruptions) and increased offensive output. The Terps no longer looked listless or tentative. They looked like the quality athletes we know them to be.

Following that ferocious flurry of freshmen energy, Coach B made a line change . . . subbing in 5 veterans to replace the 4 frosh and Diandra. This new line-up and every subsequent combination continued to stretch Maryland's lead, showing fans that the depth of this season's roster is one of the team's greatest assets. The tired Towson Tigers simply couldn't keep up in the later part of the game. Final score: Terps win, 72-47.

Some stats of note: Three Terps finished in double figures tonight: Diandra T (12), Alyssa Thomas (10), and Tianna Hawkins (10). And two of the freshmen were busy picking the Tigers' pockets: Alyssa recorded 5 steals, while Natasha Cloud had 4. And PG Dara Taylor, who struggled at McDonough, bounced back this evening with 5 assists (and 0 turnovers!).

Next up for Maryland is the back-end of a home-and-home against American University, at 2 PM this Sunday at Comcast. Last December, as some fans no doubt remember, the Eagles hosted the Terps at Bender Arena for a game that was supposed to be one of the highlights of the AU season . . . a large crowd was expected when the two local teams tipped off against each other. Unfortunately, Mother Nature decided to dump two feet of snow on the city that weekend, significantly cutting down on attendance. (Officially only 331 saw the game, and that number may have included the teams, officials and bus drivers.) There's no snow in the forecast for this Sunday, so no excuses -- be there!

Go Terps . . . Beat the Eagles!