Maryland cruises past Richmond

College Park (Map, News) - After playing 14 games in 31 days to open the season, No. 5 Maryland will close out 2007 playing just three games in three weeks.

However, the break in the schedule has not slowed Maryland down at all as it won its fifth straight game Saturday by defeating visiting Richmond, 89-59, in the Terrapin Classic Saturday at the Comcast Center.

Junior forward Marissa Coleman scored 23 points and had 10 rebounds, while senior forward Crystal Langhorne had 15 points and 15 rebounds for Maryland (15-1), which played for the first time since winning at James Madison on Dec. 20. Also, junior guard Kristi Toliver had 16 points and 7 assists while senior forward Jade Perry had 10 points and 6 rebounds in the win.

“I thought we showed some good signs coming off the holiday break,” Maryland coach Brenda Frese said. “You’re always a little rusty this time of year, but I liked how we came out with our intensity defensively from the start. Richmond was a very scrappy, aggressive team, but I liked how unselfish we were as a team and looking to try to execute what we were trying to get done today.”

The turning point against Richmond came late in the first half when Maryland went into the break on a 12-0 run to take a 47-26 lead. Prior to that stretch Richmond – which never led – had kept the game fairly close, trailing by as few as six nine minutes into the game and just by nine, 35-26, with 2:57 left in the first half before Maryland pulled away.

For the game, Maryland shot 54 percent from the field, including making 9-of-15 three-point attempts. Richmond (7-6) shot just 32.9 percent for the game and was out-rebounded, 46-33. Freshman guard Brittani Shells led the Spiders with 27 points, 21 of which came in the second half.

“From a Richmond perspective, I thought we competed really, really hard,” Richmond coach Mike Shafer said. “I thought our kids came in here and tried to match up the physicality of the game and tried to play as hard as we could within the parameter of the rules.

“When you’re guarding a team that has five legitimate All-American-type scorers at every position you get yourself in positions where its difficult to be in help positions. It’s difficult to combat the strengths these guys have. There’s not anybody that’s weak that you can hop off of and Maryland gives you that with their starting five. They are just really, really balanced.”

The Terrapins look to go into the New Year’s on a high note when they host in-state rival UMBC at 2 p.m. Sunday. The Retrievers (4-8) lost its first Terrapin Classic game Friday, falling to Richmond, 64-51. After Sunday, Maryland will be finished with non-conference play – which included games against 12 different conferences as it opens its Atlantic Coast Conference schedule Thursday at Wake Forest.

“We’re just really excited,” said Langhorne on beginning ACC play next week. “Our preseason has prepared us and the ACC is what we play for and I know our team is ready for it.”

rsnyder@baltimoreexaminer.com

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