Arrested development

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Late in Friday's ACC Tournament quarterfinal matchup, Kim Rodgers got a bit of luck on a 3-point attempt from the top of the key.

Her shot hit the rim, bounced off the backboard and rattled around the iron before finding its way through the net to cut the Terrapin women's basketball team's deficit against Georgia Tech to just four points with 1:52 left to play.

Even after Rodgers' good fortune, the Terps got a bit more when Georgia Tech guard Alex Montgomery missed the front end of a one-and-one free-throw opportunity. Center Lynetta Kizer turned the ensuing possession into points with two free throws to cut the Yellow Jackets' lead to just two.

The next possession, though, all but summed up the fourth-seeded Terps' 70-64 loss. When Montgomery fought through a hard foul by forward Alyssa Thomas, swishing a fast-break layup and then hitting the ensuing free throw, Thomas was relegated to the bench with five fouls and the Terps' comeback hopes in their postseason opener were dashed.

"Credit Georgia Tech — they came in with more energy and more intensity and outplayed us on both ends," coach Brenda Frese said. "We got beat by a better team."

In an affair defined by wild swings of momentum, the Terps came out on the wrong end of the game's most important run. They entered halftime up 29-28 thanks to an 8-0 run to close the half and continued to carry that momentum early in the second half. But after scoring 12 of the second half's first 14 points and building an 11-point lead, the Terps' energy disintegrated.

Fifth-seeded Georgia Tech (23-9) responded with a 24-4 run of its own midway through the second half, putting the Terps in a hole they were unable to climb out of.

The root of the Terps' inconsistencies was not singular; instead, it came from a combination of sources. The Terps (23-7) were overwhelmed by Georgia Tech's renowned full-court press, particularly in the second half, and finished the game with 23 turnovers.

In response to the Yellow Jackets' pressure, they turned to smaller lineups that often left the paint open for Yellow Jacket center Sasha Goodlett (18 points, nine rebounds) to have a career day. Their lack of post help also made it difficult to feed the ball to Kizer (nine points) and left the Terps exposed on the glass, where they were outrebounded, 36-27, and surrendered nine offensive rebounds.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the Terps were slowed by foul trouble all game. Thomas picked up two early fouls and was limited to just 21 minutes of play.

"A lot of foul trouble. When Alyssa only gets to play 20 minutes in a game, it's going to be difficult," Frese said of her team's leading scorer. "We were constantly having to juggle lineups and matchups."

The effects of that lineup juggling were most felt most down low, where the Terps have dominated all season.

With Thomas, whose skills allow her to both handle the ball and play in the paint, often stuck on the bench, Frese chose to supplement the team's ball-handling.

"We talked about that as a staff; you kind of pick your poison between them really impacting us rebounding-wise," Frese said. "But you also have to be able to get the ball up the floor."

Despite the late-game comeback bid sparked by Rodgers' 3-pointer that had the Terps believing — "We did, actually [think we were going to win]," a dejected Kizer said afterward — the Terps simply didn't have enough to finish the game off.

After their comeback bid had fallen short, the Terps boarded their bus to College Park with a bitter taste in their mouths, knowing that an opportunity to boost their NCAA Tournament profile and compete for an ACC title had fallen by the wayside.

"Disappointed is what we're feeling the most," said Rodgers, who finished with 13 points. "We came in here expecting to get to Sunday. But now the game's over. There's nothing we can do about it."

The game, though, may serve as a learning experience for a team devoid of seniors. While an early exit from the Greensboro Coliseum was not what the Terps had planned, the blow of an early departure from the ACC Tournament could be softened with the knowledge than an NCAA Tournament appearance was on the horizon.

For an improved showing in the season's final tournament, though, Kizer believes the team still has learning to do. She sighed as she stressed her team's need to understand the gravity of the postseason.

"Just how serious it is," Kizer said when asked what her team should take from Friday's loss. "We've got to put 40 minutes together."

cwalsh@umdbk.com