Crystal Langhorne and the Terps surrendered 27 points in 13 minutes to Duke and only scored only 11 points in the first half. But in the second half, the Terps improved their play significantly, going on a 10-1 run at one point.
Cheers for the No. 6-seeded Terrapin women’s basketball team were drowned out by the overwhelming number of Duke fans at Sunday’s ACC tournament final, fans who watched Duke score 27 points during a 13-minute span in which the Terps could not make a single basket. As the Blue Devils thwarted nearly every attempt, Terp players took turns letting out sighs.
But then something clicked, albeit briefly and too late, and the Terp fans and the team made noise again.
“We just decided we weren’t going to quit, regardless of what the score was, regardless of what the outcome of the game was going to be, we weren’t going to quit,” senior guard Anesia Smith said. “And we did that. We didn’t quit. I feel like my team took a huge step forward, as far as the heart and the character we showed. And I think that everybody who walked out the stadium knows that this Maryland team won’t quit regardless of who they’re playing, regardless of what the score is, regardless of what’s happening.”
Smith’s comments epitomized the message following the Terps’ 74-44 loss to Duke, which faces North Carolina tonight for a chance at its sixth-straight ACC title.
“That’s a lot of adversity to face,” said coach Brenda Frese. “But I’m extremely proud of how we came out and continued to battle the entire game.”
Frese said her team’s tenacity in the second half will benefit them in the NCAA tournament next week. Recent predictions place them as a No. 7 seed.
But even while the Terps emphasized their spirited effort — a 10-1 run that included pressuring Duke into three turnovers — the box score still showed the Terps played their worst game of the season. They hit just three first-half field goals, made only 26 percent of their shots and dished out a meager three assists compared to 20 turnovers.
The Terps have lost all three games against Duke this season and have not beaten the Blue Devils in the past 12 tries.
During Sunday’s post-game press conference, a North Carolina-based reporter asked Frese, “What else do you need to add to get up to the level where Duke and Carolina are at?”
Frese said height. Doron, seemingly peeved at the question, gave a different answer.
“We beat North Carolina, by the way,” Doron said, recalling the Terps’ 92-77 defeat of the then No. 5-ranked Tar Heels this season. “Just so you remember.”
“Oh, I remember,” the reporter replied. “They’re highly ranked and they’re in the final again.”
Behind the verbal spat, Doron’s message was clear. While it seemed everyone expected them to bow down to the schools from North Carolina, the Terps entered with confidence. They are one of just three teams to beat the Tar Heels this season — the only team to do so by more than six points — and previously held Duke to two of its lowest offensive outputs this year.
Doron said she reminded her team of that after fouling out during a Terp run.
“I just wanted them to know that I had confidence in them, and to keep playing hard and not give up,” Doron said. “If anything, [the loss] affects us positively. These emotions you never want to feel and they just motivate you more to push hard in practice and not wanna feel like this again.”
TERP NOTES: Frese is one of 20 finalists for the Naismith Coach of the Year award. Frese, the 2002 Associated Press Coach of the Year at Minnesota, is one of four ACC coaches nominated for the award, which will be announced April 8.
