Center Lynetta Kizer sat out the Terps’ 82-36 exhibition win against Messiah last night at Comcast Center.
As the Terrapins women’s basketball team won handily in its first exhibition contest of the new season last night, Lynetta Kizer could only watch from the sidelines.
The Terps’ star center had few alternatives. In a statement before the game, coach Brenda Frese announced the senior had been suspended indefinitely for a violation of team rules, leaving her short-term future in question.
As Kizer spent nearly the entirety of the team’s exhibition contest on the bench, the No. 11 Terps had no trouble dismantling Division III Messiah, 82-36. Still, with the start of the regular season just nine days away, the Terps might not be able to afford to have her absence linger.
After averaging more than 11 points per game in each of her first three years and being named to the preseason All-ACC team entering this season, Kizer is being counted on to be one of the focal points for the Terps in their push for prominence.
But her suspension has, for the moment, put a damper on lofty expectations in College Park. After the game, Frese offered no timetable for Kizer’s return to the lineup and doubted her availability for the team’s regular-season opener against Loyola on Nov. 11.
“It’s a good measuring stick for us.” Frese said of her team’s play without one of its most vital cogs. “You’re able to see, obviously, we have more depth and the improvement that’s been made.”
The Terps’ frontcourt certainly didn’t need Kizer to dominate an overmatched Falcons team. Starting forwards Tianna Hawkins and Alyssa Thomas combined for 25 points and 19 rebounds, while Alicia DeVaughn added four points and four rebounds at center in place of Kizer. Overall, the Terps outrebounded the smaller Messiah team by 15.
“Not having as much depth without Lynetta there, we got to be able to have them all hit the glass,” Frese said. “I saw some positive things, and then obviously, as a coach, some things we have to improve on.”
It wasn’t just the frontcourt that stepped up in Kizer’s stead, though. The team’s lone true freshman, point guard Brene Moseley, was impressive in her debut for the Terps, scoring eight points and leading all players with seven assists.
Moseley’s performance could be a sign of things to come. Though she committed a team-high five turnovers, she played six more minutes than incumbent starter Anjale Barrett in mop-up duty, and her play didn’t go unnoticed by her teammates.
“Brene is a great point guard looking to distribute the ball,” Thomas said. “Not only does she have good chemistry with me, she has good chemistry with everyone else on the team.”
The Terps have one final preseason test this weekend against Holy Family. Whether Kizer will be on the floor for that game is unknown. But even without her, Frese said she was excited to watch her team, as well as its emerging individual stars, continue to develop as the start of the regular season nears.
“When we get ready to go back with the team, look at the film and the breakdown of it, we can continue to teach new things and get better,” Frese said. “When we can have a different weapon every game and have consistent defense and more offense, we’re looking pretty good.”
vitale@umdbk.com
