Coatney's Call: Maryland Preview

#21 Nebraska vs. #11 Maryland
Wednesday, Nov. 28, 7:01 p.m. (central)
Bob Devaney Sports Center (Lincoln, Neb.)
TV: Big Ten Network (Kevin Kugler, Debbie Antonelli)
Radio: Husker Sports Network
(Matt Coatney-PBP; Jeff Griesch-Analyst)
(B107.3 FM-Lincoln; The Wolf 93.3 FM-Omaha; 880 AM-KRVN, Lexington; 1400 AM- KCOW, Alliance; 94.1 FM-KNEB, Scottsbluff; 1450 AM-KWBE, Beatrice; 1310 AM-KGMT, Fairbury)
Internet: Free live audio on Huskers.com               

I'm really not a big believer in omens or fate, but after last Friday's 74-65 Husker women's basketball win at USC, maybe it's time for me to start. I was visiting with NU sophomore guard Tear'a Laudermill's mother Pam before the game, and she told me she hated the Galen Center, USC's home court. 

I told her Nebraska had previous success in the building, but she said that the last time her daughter played there, her high school team lost in the California CIF Southern Regional Finals.  I told her it was time to change her feelings about the building and maybe Tear'a could have something to do about it.  Wow, did she ever! 

With the Huskers trailing 63-61 with 1:49 left, Laudermill hit the biggest shot of the game, a three-pointer from the right wing that gave NU a lead the Huskers would not relinquish in a 74-65 Husker win. 

Senior point guard Lindsey Moore demonstrated why she is on all three National Player-of-the-Year watch lists.  She scored 17 of her team-high 23 points in the final 6:06.  Moore's  overall stat line was impressive:  34 minutes, 23 points, seven rebounds, four assists, two steals and zero turnovers.  Zeroes also hit numerous clutch free throws, going 13-of-15 at the line in pacing the Huskers, who were a blistering 28-of-32 at the stripe, including making 17-of-18 in the second half. 

Fellow National Player-of-the-Year candidate Jordan Hooper was 5-of-5 at the line and added 19 points, seven rebounds and two steals.  Sophomore forward Emily Cady teamed with Hooper to give the Huskers a formidable inside game, as Nebraska outscored USC in the paint 34-24.  Cady played much of the game defending USC's tough forward Cassie Harberts and kept her from posting double-digit rebounds for the first time this season.  The sophomore from Seward had 14 points and seven rebounds and hit one of NU's two three-pointers in the game, as Nebraska attempted only seven long-range shots. 

With the win, NU improved to 5-1 on the season and returns home for their toughest test of the young season.  The Huskers will face 11th-ranked Maryland Wednesday night at the Devaney Center in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.

Maryland (3-1) has become one of the premier teams in women's college basketball over the last 10 years.  The Terrapins won the 2006 national championship and since that time have advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament three times, including last season.  Picked fifth in the preseason AP poll, Maryland suffered a key injury prior during the fall when projected starting point guard Brene Moseley suffered a season-ending ACL injury at practice.  The injury bug hit the Terps again when 6-7 center Essence Townsend suffered a torn ACL during an exhibition game, leaving Maryland with nine healthy players for the season.

The Terrapins return their top three scorers from last year's 31-5 team, including junior All-American forward Alyssa Thomas.  She became only the second sophomore in ACC history to be named Conference Player of the Year, averaging 17.2 points and 8.0 rebounds last season.  The preseason ACC Player of the Year, Thomas is joined up front by 6-3 senior center Tianna Hawkins.  Hawkins led the nation in field goal percentage (.623) last season and led the Terps in rebounding (9.1 rpg) while adding 12.0 points per game. Hawkins' rebound numbers helped the 2011-12 Terrapins to a 12.9 rebounding edge, which ranked second nationally.  Hawkins currently leads Maryland in scoring (19.5 ppg) and rebounding (9.5 rpg).  

Adding depth to Maryland's front-line is 6-4 freshman Malina Howard, who was a summer club teammate of Husker freshman guard Rachel Theriot.  Howard was rated by many services as the top high school center in the country last year. Another club teammate of Theriot's was Maryland freshman guard Chloe Pavlech. Pavlech made her first start at the point in the Terps' most recent 40-point win over American on Nov. 21. Pavlech had three points, eight assists and two turnovers in the start.

With the pre-season injury to Moseley, much of the ball handling in Maryland's backcourt has fallen in the hands of junior guard Laurin Mincy.  The team's second-best returning scorer at 13.1 points last year, Mincy stepped up big in the postseason, scoring 45 combined points in the second and third round Terrapin wins over Louisville and Texas A&M in the NCAA Tournament. 

Junior guard Katie Rutan started the first three games of the season for the Terps. Rutan had to sit out last season after transferring from Xavier where she helped the Musketeers to the 2010 Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.  A tremendous three-point shooter, Rutan averaged 8.0 points in her two seasons at Xavier, shooting .394 from beyond the arc. Junior forward Alicia DeVaughn rounds out Maryland's probable starting lineup.  Named to last season's ACC All-Defensive Team, DeVaughn started all but one game in 2011-12 and is currently second on the team in scoring (13.0 ppg) and rebounding (8.3 rpg).

Maryland Coach Brenda Frese is in her 11th year and has posted four 30-win seasons since arriving in College Park in 2002.  She was the Big Ten's and AP's National Coach of the Year after leading Minnesota to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2002.  Frese has taken her teams to nine NCAA Tournaments.

Maryland leads the all-time series with Nebraska 1-0, defeating NU 76-64 in College Park in the second round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament. Yvonne Turner had a career-high 23 points and five three-pointers for the Huskers against the fifth-ranked Terps. The Huskers will be searching for their 10th win over a top-15 team since December of 2009, when Maryland comes to the Devaney Center Wednesday.

I cordially invite you to join Jeff Griesch and me for Nebraska women's basketball on the Husker Sports Network.  Our broadcast Wednesday evening begins with the pre-game show at 6:45 p.m. (central) with the tip-off scheduled for 7:05 p.m. on the Husker Sports Network, including Lincoln affiliate KBBK 107.3 FM (B107.3), KFFF 93.3 FM (The Wolf 93.3) in Omaha, KRVN 880 in Lexington, KCOW 1400 in Alliance, KNEB 94.1 in Scottsbluff, KWBE 1450 in Beatrice, KGMT 1310 in Fairbury and available to our entire twenty-five network stations.  All Husker women's basketball broadcasts are also available for free worldwide on the internet at www.huskers.com.  I hope you can join us. 

There are a number of ways to get enhanced information about our broadcast and Husker women's basketball via social media.  You can learn more about the team on the Nebraska Women's Basketball Facebook  page or follow the team on their official Twitter  page @huskerswbb.  I also invite you to friend me on Facebook (Matt Coatney) or follow me on Twitter @coatman1.

Go Big Red! 

Matt