Lady Terps go for the jugular

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/college/basketball/bal-sp.2maesecol03apr03,0,728118.column?coll=bal-home-headlines

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/college/basketball/bal-te.sp.terps03apr03,0,5578947.story?coll=bal-home-headlines

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/02/AR2006040201393.html

YEE-HAW!!!

The Lady Terps know how to get it done moreso than any Maryland basketball team in the past few years. Last night's game was sloppy, ugly and dangerously physical. In fact, a huge turning point in the game was Ivory Latta coming down from a lay-up (which I think she missed) and jamming up her entire left leg. Understandably, that completely blew out the Tar Heels' momentum and also was a bit of distraction; the team had to go deep to compensate for the even momentary loss of their star player. Kudos to Latta for having the courage to come back into the game minutes later. That definitely requires a champion's spirit, and I believe that she recognized that she carried the team on her shoulders. Not to be forgotten by any means is Erlana Larkins. She took on the lion's share of the Maryland defense and came up with great penetration. She began to assume the mantle of team leader, so ultimately you can't fault the Tar Heels for their guts and effort.

But it was Maryland who had more endurance, and, despite the obscene number of turnovers, they were able to utilize their physicality to their advantage. They were able to cut inside and convert, especially as they ran away with the game in the remaining few minutes of the game. The poise that those girls had throughout was especially strong as the game was reaching its climax. This was by far the most riveting women's game I've ever seen (and yes, I have watched some), and I'm very excited about what this can do for women's sports overall. The Maryland women have brought a very tangible passion to the game, to the degree that fans of primarily men's games could be impressed.

Tomorrow night, the Terps take on the Dukies. Even if our girls weren't in the title game, we all know where my loyalties lie. That said, it's certainly not an open-and-shut case as to which team is going to win the whole she-bang. To blow out another #1 seed like Duke did to the Tigers last night was, in some senses, a surprise, especially with the Tigers having one of the nation's top scorers. Then again, Duke hasn't had a national championship for a long time, if ever (I don't know), and that could mean one of two things; 1) they could really dig deep with a powerful thirst for the title and come out on top. 2) OR, they could fall victim to their identity as Blue Devils, almost expecting the title for themselves, especially in light of last night's rout. They have a lot on their plate, considering how the men's team bowed out in their sweet-sixteen game and also how they might be relied upon to take the spotlight away from their men's lacrosse scandal. On the other side of the coin, the Terrapins have these possibilities; 1) their sloppy play could continue into tomorrow night, largely due to their inexperience. 2) OR, they could ride the wave and play some gritty ball, reaching as far as they possibly can to bedevil the Blue Devils, simply because they have nothing to lose.

I'm never good at picking the game, and to be truthful, I have no idea who'll take it tomorrow night. So, I'll wear my red shirt and be on the edge of my seat for what I expect to be another benchmark game in college basketball.