The women's basketball team gathers around during Tuesday's trophy presentation. Photo by Matthew Creger/The Diamondback
They might not have played any actual “classics,” but the Terrapin women’s basketball team again took home the Terrapin Classic title with a 67-61 win over UNC-Wilmington Tuesday night.
The Terps have just one more game — a Jan. 3 date with Saint Joseph’s — before conference play begins.
Are they ready? Who knows. When a team can shoot 45 percent from the field and commit almost 20 turnovers and yet still win comfortably, it’s either a sure indicator that there are better things beyond the horizon or a warning sign that the Terps are playing with fire.
Here’s what caught my eye out there Tuesday at Comcast Center:
– Terrapin Classic MVP Lynetta Kizer might have set the lowest points per game average for any player ever distinguished as such. Kizer totaled 23 points in her two games this Classic, which works out to a mere 11.5 points per contest. At 8-of-14 from the field, she was certainly efficient, but forward Diandra Tchatchouang had 31 points to her name after tonight’s win. Perhaps it’s the spoils of seniority (and Kizer is only a sophomore, mind you).
– After a 5-of-18 showing from beyond the arc, the Terps made five of their first seven three-pointers to build a comfortable double-digits lead in the opening minutes of the first half. Said Coach Brenda Frese: “Credit both Lori [Bjork] and Kim [Rodgers]. They came in and they were ready to play. They were shot-ready, and I thought our guards did a nice job of finding them.”
– The aforementioned Rodgers, who missed all five of her shots Sunday against Stony Brook, hit two of those three-pointers — and a layup — before leaving the game because of an injury to her left ring finger. Frese said Rodgers will have her finger examined to determine if it was fractured or broken.
– After returning from halftime with a 39-32 lead, the Terps turned the ball over on four of their first six possessions. Somehow, though, the Terps kept the Seahawks at arm’s length — UNC-Wilmington never got closer than three points. Said Frese: “There was a point in the second half where we were going to go one way or another, and I thought we did a nice job keeping our poise and our composure and being able to manage the game.”
– Dara Taylor continued to make things happen for the Terps. The lightning-fast freshman dropped another eight assists (and five turnovers) tonight, giving her 17 helpers in the span of about 48 hours. The diminutive Taylor is a menace in the open court, and when she gets the green light to start unleashing from deep, she’ll be a nuisance to cover. Oh, and at 5-foot-7, she also managed to grab two offensive rebounds tonight, equaling 6-foot-4 Lynetta Kizer’s total and besting 6-foot-3 Diandra Tchatchouang’s goose egg.
Jonas Shaffer is The Diamondback’s women’s basketball beat writer. He can be reached at shaffer@umdbk.com. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/jonas_shaffer.