String of slow starts hurts women's basketball as game vs. No. 7 Duke looms

While the Terrapin women's basketball team's upset loss to Virginia on Sunday will likely be remembered for the team's inability to close out the win in the final minutes, the stage for the disappointing loss had been set long before guard Anjale Barrett's unsuccessful last-second 3-pointer.

The Terps started the game 0-for-5 from the field and scored just one point in the first 4:41 of a half in which they struggled to find their way. Their offense appeared disjointed, often throwing up uncharacteristically bad shots and sputtering to a halftime deficit.

It was the third consecutive game where the No. 16 Terps trailed at halftime and the second straight where it cost them the victory. While they came roaring back against NC State on Feb. 6, their first-half woes all but sealed their fate in Sunday's 60-57 loss to the Cavaliers and last Thursday's loss at No. 13 Miami.

"We've had three slow starts," coach Brenda Frese said after Sunday's loss. "Anytime you're in ACC play, you can't come out and play flat. We've got to be able to learn and understand just how good these teams are in league play. We've got to start from the tip."

With dominant post play and strong defense, the Terps have shown they were all but built to protect leads, often suffocating opponents after establishing an advantage.

What the Terps are not necessarily equipped to do, though, is come from behind. They lack a great outside shooter — their top option, Kim Rodgers, has shot just 25 percent from beyond the arc this season — and with their turnover woes, comebacks have become far more difficult.

Their recent sloppy starts, not surprisingly, have left Frese searching for answers.

"I am confused by it at this point in the season," Frese said. "Obviously, our starting five have got to be able to bring that energy, and then it's got to transfer to everybody on the court."

Their troubles could also stem from issues off the court. Perhaps the inexperience of a team with no seniors and four freshman contributors is finally shining through, or maybe overconfidence from a recent seven-game winning streak affected their level of intensity.

Whatever the cause, the Terps know that flat starts to games will certainly hamper them as they look to return to the national limelight with extended runs in March's ACC and NCAA tournaments.

"You can't really say why we're coming out flat," forward Alyssa Thomas said after Sunday's game. "We're not bringing the energy."

With four games remaining before the ACC Tournament, the stumbling Terps stand at a crossroads in their season. They've dealt with consecutive losses before, having opened their ACC slate with back-to-back losses to Duke and Boston College in January. Soon after, they responded with a seven-game winning streak that included wins over nationally ranked North Carolina and Georgia Tech.

Thursday's highly anticipated game against No. 7 Duke offers the same opportunity.

"We've got to use this adversity to help make us tighter as a unit as we move forward," Frese said. "I fully expect they'll respond."

But should their recent early-game struggles continue, it will make their work that much more difficult against this week's ranked foes. After a visit from the Blue Devils, they'll travel to Tallahassee, Fla., to face No. 15 Florida State.

"With a young team, it's just getting everybody to understand how serious this is," said center Lynetta Kizer, who has emerged as the team's vocal leader. "We're not guaranteed no [NCAA] Tournament spot right now. We want to win. We have to play every game; we have to start every game good in the first four minutes."

cwalsh@umdbk.com