Even for a team of nine freshmen and sophomores, the Terrapin women's basketball 88-39 rout of North Carolina Central on Saturday night wasn't altogether unexpected.
How the Terps actually turned the score line into a lopsided laugher was.
The young crew responsible for replacing the lost offensive production of last year showed it might turn to defense to make this season a little bit smoother than coach Brenda Frese expected.
"I thought for their first real live test coming out, I'm excited," Frese said. "I'm excited to be able to build on this."
The Terps (1-0) held the lady Eagles (0-1) to 29.4 percent shooting and scored 37 points off 27 North Carolina Central turnovers. The 39 points allowed were the fewest since Dec. 7, 2007, when Northern Iowa scored only 37 against the Terps.
At one point midway through the first half, the Terps forced a turnover on eight straight possessions as they extended a nine-point advantage to a 26-6 lead.
"It's great to see where we're at defensively," Frese said. "We were ready to play. We played great team defense together. I think we have so many different parts right now that we can interchange."
Indeed, it was often the Terps' bench players who made life most miserable for the lady Eagles. Freshman guards Dara Taylor (five steals) and Jackie Nared (six rebounds) didn't start Saturday, but they never stopped pestering the lady Eagles with their quickness and athleticism when they were on the floor.
On the rare occasions when dribble penetration succeeded, there was still the matter of overcoming the Terps' inside presence. Freshman center Essence Townsend led all players with four blocks, but the amount of shots she and her lengthy compatriots down low altered was far greater.
"Our freshmen aren't playing like freshmen," Frese said. "That's exactly how we need them to play. They're playing like great basketball players that we've recruited here to Maryland."
On offense, reigning ACC Freshman of the Year Lynetta Kizer took on an increased scoring role as needed. After scoring just 18 total points in the team's two preseason scrimmages, Kizer notched a career high of 23 in only 21 minutes of action Saturday.
"She set the tone for all of our post players," Frese said. "Every time she got a touch, she was very effective with it."
"I think with young post players like we have ... they're going to need somebody to build their confidence off of," said Kizer, who went 10-of-12 from the field and pulled down eight rebounds.
Freshmen forwards Tianna Hawkins and Diandra Tchatchouang added 15 and 11 points, respectively, for the Terps, who improved their home winning streak to 37 games.
The team returns to Comcast Center tonight for a 7 p.m. game against New Hampshire.
shaffer@umdbk.com
is a member of the 
Be the first to comment on this article! Log in to Comment
You must be logged in to comment on an article. Not already a member? Register now