Forward Alyssa Thomas had 17 points in the Terps’ win Saturday. The team faces No. 7 seed Louisville on Monday night.

It’d been nearly two weeks since the Terrapins women’s basketball team last suited up to play, so perhaps it was no surprise that it took some time for the team to shake off the cobwebs in its NCAA Tournament opener.

No. 15 seed Navy gave the No. 2 seed Terps all they could handle early Monday, and the ACC champions trailed for much of the first half.

But in the final 25 minutes, the team that won the 28 games this season finally made it to Comcast Center. The Terps staved off the outmatched Midshipmen with ease for much of the rest of the game, advancing to the second round with a 59-44 victory.

“We came out really anxious and excited to play, so we looked rusty,” coach Brenda Frese said. “I was happy to see us kind of settle down before halftime and get it together for the second half.”

Navy led the Terps by as many as four points for nine of the first 11 minutes of the game, the 3-point shot letting it stay with its higher-seeded opponent.

It wasn’t until after the half’s third media timeout that the Terps began to put the Midshipmen in their place. Three unanswered 3-pointers from guards Kim Rodgers and Brene Moseley gave them a nine-point lead late in the first half.

“Being able to come in and just provide a spark off the bench, which is what me and [Brene] did, I think that really helps to get things going,” Rodgers said. “We started off slow, and it took us the entire first half to really get going.”

Navy attempted to combat its lack of interior size by taking chances on the perimeter, finishing with 25 attempts from beyond the arc. The Midshipmen shot just 6-for-25 from deep and just 1-for 12 in the second half, clearly bothered by the Terps’ length.

Aided by their opponent’s shooting woes, the Terps went on a 16-6 run midway through the first half to build a 21-point lead, their largest of the game.

“I thought the second half was more indicative of how we play; letting the game come to us, the smiles that were on the court, sharing the basketball and defending,” Frese said. “We were much better getting through screens and being able to force them at times to take the game off the bounce.”

Forward Alyssa Thomas sparked much of that rally. After scoring just five points on 2-for-7 shooting in the first half, Thomas went off for 12 points and four assists in the second to lead all scorers.

“Coach challenged me at halftime and told that me that I need to slow down and make plays,” Thomas said. “I just kind of slowed down and focused out there.”

“At breakfast I asked her how she slept last night and she said, ‘Not good.’ She was too amped up,” Frese said. “What is great about coaching Alyssa is you can motivate and challenge her in so many different ways. The coaching staff thought I was a little too hard on her, but I was just right.”

With the win, the Terps advanced to Monday’s second-round contest and will face No. 7 seed Louisville in Comcast Center.

Last season, the Terps’ season ended in the second round with a 79-57 loss to Georgetown. They’re determined not to let it happen again this season.

“Last year was a painful lesson for us,” Frese said. “Our goal is fight to finish this year, and this team takes great pride in that.”

vitale@umdbk.com