Time after time, Crystal Langhorne puts up staggering numbers, dominates the post and racks up weekly awards while establishing herself as one of the country’s premier players.
Last night, Langhorne officially established herself as one of the best Terps to ever wear a uniform – as if it weren’t already obvious.
The sophomore forward/center became the quickest Terp to score 1,000 career points, needing just 60 games. Teammate Shay Doron was previously deemed the quickest to reach that mark in the Terps’ first home game this season.
But Doron is in her junior season, which makes Langhorne’s feat all the more impressive.
“It couldn’t happen to a better, more classier person,” Terp coach Brenda Frese said. “And it says a lot for this team and this program to have two players already this season break 1,000.”
The actual contest, an 89-63 Terp win over Clemson, was somewhat of an afterthought to Langhorne, who deflected any personal acknowledgment after the game.
“That really doesn’t matter,” Langhorne said. “We’re winning games right now, we’re fourth in the nation and we’re just doing really well.”
After the win, Langhorne was presented with a commemorative game ball. She said she was unaware of the record heading into the game.
But after Langhorne’s sixth point of the night, the achievement was announced to the 4,954 in attendance at Comcast Center during an ensuing timeout.
“I didn’t know at all,” Langhorne said. “When they said it, I was like, ‘What?’ and Jade [Perry] was just like, ‘Congratulations!’ and I was just like, ‘What are you talking about?’ So I didn’t know.”
Frese said she purposely did not inform Langhorne of the milestone that was so close.
“I never want to tell a player when they’re getting close to anything,” Frese said. “I think then sometimes you press too much and mentally think about it. I wanted it to be a nice surprise. Surprises are good.”
Langhorne finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in just 20 minutes. The double-double is her ACC-leading 12th of the season and her 30 career double-doubles are the most of any active ACC player.
As far as the game was concerned, the No. 4-ranked Terps (25-3, 12-2 ACC) were never threatened by Clemson (8-19, 2-11). After scoring the game’s first 11 points, the Terps took a 15-point lead into halftime – largely because of freshman Marissa Coleman – and cruised in the final 20 minutes.
Coleman scored a game-high 20 points and shot lights-out during a 19-point first half.
She hit seven of 10 shots, including five of six from behind the arc where Coleman made the Tigers look foolish for leaving her so open. The only thing that seemed to be able to stop Coleman was when she spent a brief stint on the bench resting.
“Often times I pass up my open looks,” Coleman said. “[Assistant] coach [Jeff] Walz always gets on me, so today I was just … letting them fly. I was just feelin’ it today.”
Clemson coach Cristy McKinney criticized her team for leaving Coleman open on so many occasions.
“We’re such an unaware basketball team,” McKinney said. “We know she can shoot it. You look at her stats and she shoots the three great. We just weren’t aware of her, and to not be aware of a player that good is a little scary.”
Because of the blowout and foul trouble, Coleman didn’t see as many minutes in the second half. But the Terps’ role players picked up right where Coleman left off.
Perry, who started in place of an ill Laura Harper, and reserve Aurelie Noirez, both centers, filled in admirably. Perry scored 14 points and Noirez had her most productive game of the season. She scored eight points and pulled down 10 rebounds in 22 minutes.
But even Coleman, Perry and Noirez combined couldn’t overshadow Langhorne’s night.
Contact reporter Andrew Zuckerman at zuckermandbk@gmail.com.
