After being handled by No. 1-ranked Virginia Tuesday, struggling to defeat nonconference foe Brown on Saturday was not what the Terrapin women’s lacrosse team envisioned — literally.

Under the guidance of spiritual advisor Jerry Lynch, the Terps had a two-hour visualization session on Friday, which was intended to provide players with confidence. But despite dominating nearly every statistic in the first half against the Bears, the Terps held only a two-goal advantage at the intermission.

At that point — for whatever reason — everything sank in. The Terps tallied eight consecutive goals to begin the second half, turning a close game into a rout as they thrashed Brown, 20-7.

“Basically, it was a gut check,” said sophomore reserve attacker Krista Pellizzi, referring to the Terps’ slim 6-4 lead at halftime. “But then everyone played so well together, and we needed that after a game like Virginia.”

Leading the charge for the No. 7-ranked Terps (3-2) was senior midfielder Acacia Walker, who registered a second-half hat trick and a career-high seven points on five goals and two assists. Junior midfielder Delia Cox scored four times and is second on the team with 11 goals for the season.

It took the attack a full half, however, before the goals started accumulating. The Terps outshot Brown 18-10 and forced 17 turnovers but didn’t shoot well in transition. Bears goalie Melissa King notched nine first-half saves.

“I give Brown a lot of credit, especially in the first half. They took advantage of their opportunities,” Terp head coach Cindy Timchal said. “We came out strong early, but I thought we had a little bit of an intensity lull in the second period of the first half.”

The Terps’ bench provided a spark throughout the game. Near the halfway mark in the first half, Pellizzi earned a free-position shot and converted the chance with a strong shot to beat King. Pellizzi had two goals on the day.

“It’s not all about who starts, it’s about what you provide,” Pellizzi said. “Our players don’t look at people that come off the bench, ‘Oh, they’re not starters; we can’t pass to them.’ Everyone looks at everyone like she’s the best player out there.”

By virtue of the second-half scoring burst, Timchal was able to insert nearly her entire bench toward the end of the game. Freshman midfielder Lauren Cohen tallied two late goals.

“Not only was it nice to get those players in, but I also thought it was very good they came in and played hard and tough,” Timchal said. “They were holding their own and scoring goals.”

The complete team effort could be traced to Lynch, whose presence is meant to fortify the Terps’ psyches.

“What we’re starting to realize is there’s a lack of confidence on the team,” Walker said. “He’s trying to get in our neurological system to be confident, because that’s the only thing that’s separating our team from any other.”

The Terps host Denver today at 4 p.m. at the Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex.