A 9-4 second half thrashing of No. 4 Duke rendered the idea of a close contest into nothing more than a footnote following the Terrapin women’s lacrosse team’s 18-11 victory Saturday.

The half represented the strongest 30 minutes of play this season for the No. 1 Terps, whose success was a direct result of controlling possession and converting a multitude of scoring opportunities with a patience that displayed finesse and restraint.

“The one thing for me is I want to continue going forward,” coach Cathy Reese said. “I don’t want to take any steps backward, and I feel like we’ve grown so much already this season and yet, it’s only March 3. We are 4-0. We’ve had some great offensive games and some great defensive games. I’d like to put a complete one together.”

Such a thorough effort would be a truly scary proposition for the Terps’ (4-0, 1-0 ACC) opposition, which tonight is No. 5 Virginia. The team will put its 14-game winning streak on the line in Charlottesville, Va., in what will be its first ACC road game and second straight matchup against a top-five team.

As the Terps continue to find their way, Reese believes the ability to clear the ball from the defensive zone remains critical to her team’s continued success. It’s a facet of any game that, when successful, allows Terp midfielders and attackers the opportunity to do what they do best: score.

“We’re really focused on connecting our transition game, moving it from one end of the field to the other a little sharper, a little quicker,” she said. “Focus on more movement offensively. Yeah, we generated 18 goals against a great team, but I think this offense is capable of even more and that’s the exciting part as a coach.”

Virginia (2-1, 0-0) bounced back from a season-opening upset at the hands of then-No. 12 Loyola, 15-8, with wins over Richmond and No. 8 Syracuse. Tonight’s matchup marks the Cavaliers’ home opener and their first foray into ACC action.

The Cavaliers have a potent offense led by attacker Charlie Finnigan, who leads the team with 11 goals, and midfielder Julie Gardner, who is tied with Finnigan with a team-high 15 points. However, they face a Terp defense that has gotten measurably better since it opened the year against Richmond, 18-7, on Feb. 13.

“I think our communication has gotten a lot better,” defender Katie Gallagher said. “We’ve always had chemistry. I think from the first day that we’ve really been working on our communication and obviously help defense, so I think that’s what we’ve been building on so far.”

One doesn’t have to peer very far into the past to discover the last time the Terps took down consecutive top-five ranked teams. The team defeated the then-No. 3 Cavaliers, 10-6, in the semifinals of the ACC tournament before it toppled then-No. 1 North Carolina, 10-5, to capture the ACC crown last year.

“I’m excited about it,” Gallagher said. “I love for some reason — ever since I was a freshman — love playing at Virginia. I don’t know why. I think it’s that field, but I don’t know. I’m excited.”

castello@umdbk.com