I’m no expert, but anytime you open a game on a 20-0 run against a conference opponent, it would seem to me you’re getting the job done, and then some.
That’s exactly what the No. 14 Terps (13-2, 1-0 ACC) did tonight to Wake Forest (12-2, 0-1 ACC) in their 92-65 conference-opening win against the Demon Deacons tonight at the Comcast Center. The Terps didn’t allow a basket for the first seven minutes, hit 50 percent of their first half shots and controlled tempo throughout.
“It’s great to be able to see the statement that we made today,” coach Brenda Frese said. “What I was really pleased with was our defense. That really got us clicking on all cylinders. With so many new players, [it was] just really exciting to see what they were gonna do in their first ACC game.”
The starting five was again stellar. Guard Kristi Toliver led the team with 22 points, though center Lynetta Kizer wasn’t far behind with 17. Forward Dee Liles grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds and blocked two shots. The Terps shot 13-27 from the 3-point line.
“You’re not gonna stop Maryland from scoring. They’re going to score, that’s what they do,” said Wake coach Mike Petersen, who playfully asked for suggestions from the media after his post-game press conference. “Toliver is great one-on-one, Strickland is great one-on-one, I mean you can go down their starting lineup.”
The team is rounding into form after integrating Kizer and Liles into the frontcourt during the nonconference schedule. They suffered upset losses at TCU and at No. 19 Pitt as part of that process. But now, they are playing their best basketball of the season, and just in time for their first real ACC test in Durham on Monday night.
“With each game that we play and each practice, you can see the little things that the coaches have been harping on all season that we’re getting better at,” forward Marissa Coleman said. “We have a couple practices going into Duke, and if we get better in a couple areas, I think we’ll be really successful come Monday night.”
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