Maryland Terrapins
ACC (24-7, 14-4)
Maryland may have fallen short to Duke for the ACC regular season title, but Coach Brenda Frese has the type of team that nobody wants to run into during the NCAA Tournament. The Terrapins boast one of the strongest and, when healthy, deepest frontcourts in the nation. It is extremely tough to get inside and score against this team. On the other end of the floor, the talented frontcourt usually has their way with opposing defenders.
Big Wins: 11/28 at Nebraska (90-71), 12/20 at Delaware (69-53), 1/24 North Carolina (85-59)
Bad Losses: 11/17 at St. Joseph’s (49-50), 1/3 at North Carolina (57-60), 2/28 at Florida State (71-72)
Coach: Brenda Frese
Why They Can Surprise:
Tianna Hawkins and Alyssa Thomas average 18.3 and 18.4 points, respectively. Nobody else on the squad averages double digits in the scoring department. Thomas, a 6-2 junior, is more than just a scorer; she also grabs 10.5 rebounds, dishes out 5.5 assists and nabs 1.8 steals per contest. The 6-3 Hawkins nearly averages 20 and 10. She will always work hard on the offensive end and is tenacious on the offensive glass. While Thomas and Hawkins may do most of the scoring and garner most of the attention, Maryland has plenty of other options in the frontcourt. Alicia DeVaughn will start beside Hawkins and Thomas. The 6-4 center’s offense is mostly limited to put-backs coming from offensive rebounds, but she is an efficient scorer in the paint and another fine rebounder. Freshman Tierney Pfirman is back after missing some time with an injury, but she too has been productive. Fellow freshman Malina Howard is the best shot blocker on the team and provides the Terps with an amazing amount of depth in the frontcourt.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Even with the quantity of players in the frontcourt, Maryland has had depth problems this season. The injury to Pfirman and losing junior guard Laurin Mincy for the season after just five games has left Coach Frese playing with just a seven player rotation at times throughout the 2012-2013 campaign. Freshman Chloe Pavlech has done an admirable job running the point, but she is still a freshman on a team that has some turnover problems. Pavlech is certainly not to blame for a majority of the turnovers; it is a result of a team that will start four players 6-2 or taller. Juniors Sequoia Austin and Katie Rutan have seen their minutes increase a bit more than expected. Rutan is the only outside shooting threat on the team and that could be a big problem for Maryland. The scoring prowess on the inside can beat teams on their own most of the time, but when the Terrapins run into a team that has the defensive prowess to stop Hawkins and Thomas in the paint, Rutan will have to knock down some shots to create space for the scorers in the paint.
Probable Starters:
Chloe Pavlech, Freshman, Guard, 5.4 ppg, 4.0 apg
Katie Rutan, Junior, Guard, 9.4 ppg, 2.2 apg
Alyssa Thomas, Junior, Forward, 18.4 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 5.5 apg
Tianna Hawkins, Senior, Forward, 18.3 ppg, 9.5 rpg
Alicia DeVaughn, Junior, Center, 8.5 ppg, 6.9 rpg
Key Roleplayers:
Sequoia Austin, Junior, Guard, 2.6 ppg
Malina Howard, Freshman, Center, 7.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg
Tierney Pfirman, Freshman, Forward, 7.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 75.7 (10th in nation, 2nd in conference)
Scoring Defense: 55.2 (47, 2)
Field-Goal Percentage: 48.0 (3, 1)
Field-Goal Defense: 34.9 (23, 2)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 4.1 (242, 8)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 33.5 (49, 3)
Free-Throw Percentage: 72.3 (74, 4)
Rebound Margin: 15.0 (2, 1)
Assists Per Game: 18.2 (4, 1)
Turnovers Per Game: 17.4 (192, 5)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2012 NCAA Round of 64 win over Navy
2012 NCAA Round of 32 win over Louisville
2012 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Texas A&M
2012 NCAA Regional Final loss to Notre Dame
2011 NCAA Round of 64 win over St. Francis (PA)
2011 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Georgetown
2010 NIT Round of 64 win over Iona
2010 NIT Round of 32 win over East Carolina
2010 NIT Regional Semifinal loss to Providence
2009 NCAA Round of 64 win over Dartmouth
2009 NCAA Round of 32 win over Utah
2009 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Vanderbilt
2009 NCAA Regional Final loss to Louisville
2008 NCAA Round of 64 win over Coppin State
2008 NCAA Round of 32 win over Nebraska
2008 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Vanderbilt
2008 NCAA Regional Final loss to Stanford
*all team stats through 3/7
See All Women’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
