As the season advances, the Terrapin women’s basketball team’s bench is getting shorter.

With backups hindered by inexperience or injury, the No. 4 Terps have played nearly all of their close games this season with a seven-player rotation.

The Terps’ top seven – starting guards junior Kristi Toliver and freshman Marah Strickland, starting forwards junior Marissa Coleman, senior Crystal Langhorne and senior Laura Harper and reserve forward Jade Perry and guard Ashleigh Newman – is arguably the best group in the country and has led the Terps to a 22-2 record.

But as the postseason approaches in little more than a month, a lack of reliable depth may prove to be the Terps’ Achilles’ heel.

“To me, our biggest concern is we haven’t found that spark off the bench,” coach Brenda Frese said. “We’ve got to find it here sooner than later.”

Never was the Terps’ short bench a more glaring issue than when Harper and Perry fouled out of Saturday’s double-overtime loss at North Carolina.

The Terps were playing their second-consecutive double-overtime game, and with Langhorne the only remaining experienced post player to defend Tar Heel star posts Erlana Larkins and LaToya Pringle, the Tar Heels pulled away for a 97-86 win.

Assistant coach Daron Park, who was filling in for a pregnant Frese, decided to put Newman back in after Perry fouled out five seconds into the second overtime, choosing experience over size.

Frese said she agreed with the move but realized the implications of the situation.

“It would be a tough decision, but I think, given the fact that Ashleigh’s a senior, she’s been at UNC, she’s had a lot of success there, it was definitely the right move to make,” Frese said. “You go with your experience and your veteran.”

But the predicament showed that the Terps need to find another player or two off the bench who can provide support late in games.

The Terps tried different lineup combinations in practice Tuesday.

“I think the contributions from everybody are going to be key for the rest of the season,” Toliver said. “I know we’re still trying to work things out and get a nice mix and rhythm going as far as that goes.”

Early in the season the Terps relied on freshman guard Kat Lyons and freshman forward Drey Mingo to spell the starters and top reserves.

But as the Terps began to play tougher opponents in conference play, those players’ minutes have diminished.

“These conference games, the level is a lot higher, so [we’re] just trying to find them some minutes where they can execute and be able to gain some confidence,” Frese said. “Drey and Kat have just come off one of their best practices [Tuesday], so it says a lot about them. Their energy has been tremendous, their work ethic. They come ready to play every single day, so I think you can’t let that go unnoticed.”

The Terps’ next two games are against Miami and Virginia Tech, teams with two of the worst records in the ACC, and could be good opportunities for the Terps to work in more players.

The other aspect of the depth problem is that after their top seven, there are only three more players – Lyons, Mingo and redshirt freshman forward Emery Wallace – for the Terps to bring into the game.

Four others, most notably senior guard Sa’de Wiley-Gatewood, are likely out for the rest of the season with injuries.

Wiley-Gatewood decided earlier this month to sit out the rest of the season due to tendinitis in her knees and take an extra year of eligibility next season.

Freshmen guards Anjalé Barrett and Kim Rodgers and redshirt junior guard Christie Marrone are also out with various injuries.

“To have that many players with injuries sitting on the bench obviously has impacted our depth,” Frese said. “Obviously we’d be able to do some different combinations that we’re not allowed to do right now.”

For their part, the Terps’ starters are embracing the challenge of seeing more minutes.

There is a lot more basketball left for them to play.

“Point blank, we want to win games,” Harper said. “And if that means we have to play 50 minutes to win a double overtime game, then we’ll do it. If that means we have to play 20 minutes we’ll do that. Whatever it takes to win is what we want to do.”

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