For Tianna and Tierra Hawkins, basketball is a twin thing

Standing outside the women's locker room inside Comcast Center earlier this week, Tianna Hawkins could do little to contain her joy at the thought of the Terrapins women's basketball team's game tonight against Delaware State.

Under most circumstances, a matchup against a Division II pushover would simply be another night dictated not by the question of whether the No. 5 Terps will win, but by how much. But for Hawkins, Dec. 8 is a date that has been circled on her calendar since the team's schedule was released in September.

That's because starting opposite the Terps' junior forward tonight will be her twin sister, redshirt freshman Tierra Hawkins. And on the eve of their first-ever collegiate matchup, one that will pit sister against sister in a venue less than an hour away from their hometown of Clinton, they couldn't be more thrilled.

"There's been a lot of trash talking going on between both of us," Tianna said. "I'm very excited."

With four years of experience playing together at Riverdale Baptist High School in Upper Marlboro, the two sisters have no shortage of familiarity with each other's games. Aside from a lone AAU matchup years ago, Tianna and Tierra hardly ever played on opposite sides of the court.

But when the two face off tonight, it won't be in their familiar navy blue and gold Crusader jerseys. Rather, Tianna will be draped in the Terps' home whites while Tierra dons the Hornets' visiting Columbia blue and red.

"I'm very excited to play her," Tierra said. "I just want to show up, get my intensity up on their level, work hard and fight to win."

Tianna did some advanced scouting earlier this week, traveling to Washington on Monday night to watch Delaware State (2-6) take on Howard. The Hornets lost by 10, but that didn't stop Tierra from showing off a little bit before her just-older sister.

Tierra scored a game-high 17 points on 7-for-13 shooting and totaled seven rebounds, adding to her impressive freshman totals as she readied for the matchup with the Terps tonight.

"I showed her that I'm not scared to play against a high-level [team]," Tierra said. "Even though I'm a freshman, I'm not scared to bang in the post and just get rebounds."

"I saw the way the team played. They're a pretty good team," Tianna said. "I'm looking forward to playing them."

The matchup between the two sisters brings life to a game where the two squads couldn't seem farther apart. The Terps (9-0) are ranked among the nation's elite and have surged to an undefeated start, while the Hornets have struggled since winning their first two games of the season, dropping six straight games entering tonight's contest.

"Tianna is extremely excited. Obviously, the two of them are extremely close," coach Brenda Frese said. "It's a great story. What are the odds you get to play against your sister in your college career? I think they'll be all business on the court come game time, but it's something that will be very exciting for them."

Tianna and Tierra might not be identical twins — Tierra is 1 inch shorter and handles the ball more often as a guard-forward — but their statistics so far this season have been quite similar. Though she has one fewer year of collegiate experience than her sister, the Hornets' star has averaged a team-high 15 points and seven rebounds per game — not a far cry from Tianna's 12 and 10 average for the Terps.

"She's their go-to player, leading scorer and rebounder and is having a really tremendous freshman campaign," Frese said. "It's a difficult matchup."

The task may seem tricky to Frese, but to Tianna, it's just another day in the gym with her sister. With a lifetime of experiences on and off the court with Tierra, Tianna knows exactly how she'll slow her down tonight.

Not that she would reveal it before tip-off, however.

"That's my secret," Tianna said. "We are twins, but I know her the best."

vitale@umdbk.com