Women ready to spend another holiday break in the sun

While their families are eating turkey and sharing stories over Thanksgiving dinner, members of the Terrapin women's basketball team will be miles away, with much more on its plate.

The Terps travel to Grand Bahama Island with their second family - their teammates - to play Gardner-Webb and either Mississippi or Northwestern as part of the two-night Junkanoo Jam tournament.

Don't feel bad for the Terps though; they still get a couple of days off in the sun to enjoy a catamaran boat ride and snorkeling in the Bahamas.

"Obviously in the Bahamas you get some great scenery and relaxing times as well," coach Brenda Frese said. "It's a great balance of both [vacation and work]. Once we start playing games Friday and Saturday, we're all business. But definitely, it's a low key approach to enjoy the time we're out there."

Last year, the Terps traveled to the U.S. Virgin Islands for a very competitive Paradise Jam tournament in which they beat Gonzaga and then-No. 9 Michigan St. before losing to then-No. 1 Tennessee.

"[Last year] was a lot of fun," sophomore Marissa Coleman said. "We enjoyed the warm weather when everybody was at home freezing. I've been looking forward to this trip since I knew we were going. It came quickly."

With a perfect BTI Classic behind them, the Terps are poised to win another tournament this weekend. The two games in the Bahamas should pose little trouble for them, even though the players feel their opponents will bring their best game, making the trip more than just a walk on the beach.

The Junkanoo Jam is the second of three tournaments the Terps play this season. Frese said she loves having these tournaments on the schedule to prepare the team for back-to-back games next March in the postseason.

"Tournaments are always fun," guard Kristi Toliver said. "Obviously in regular games you want to compete just as hard, but I think the atmosphere this weekend is going to be really fun."

Though Toliver and the Terps may be away from their families on the holiday, they have grown a family-like bond with each other over the past year. They consider themselves sisters and even playfully rib each other like they would a close relative.

"There's not a better group that I'd rather spend [Thanksgiving] with," Frese said. "They are very humble and appreciative for everything that they get. If you've got to spend the holidays away from the family, at least you can spend it with your second family that you are so close with."

"Since we all can't be with our real families, being together is the next best thing," Coleman said.

The tight-knit relationship between players has paid off on the floor. Following last season's national championship, the Terps have come out firing with a 5-0 record thus far.

The players feel comfortable playing with one another, and have averaged a robust 18.4 point advantage over teams before halftime, when the starters have gotten most of their minutes.

"I know all the guards have so much confidence in me, regardless if I miss 10 shots in a row - these girls believe I'm going to make the 11th," junior Laura Harper said. "If you play with someone who you're scared to upset, you don't play as strong."

Harper has certainly gained the confidence of her teammates, who continually dished the 6-foot-4-inch center the ball in her 24-minute, 27-point performance Friday against TCU.

"This is like another family," Toliver said. "So in one way I'm away from my family, and I miss a home-cooked meal. But other than that, it should be a real good time."

Contact reporter Mark Selig at mseligdbk@gmail.com