SUPER BOWL 2012

Most kids celebrate turning 3 with cake, ice cream, and some new toys. But if you're the twin sons of Maryland Head Coach Brenda Frese and her husband, Mark Thomas, and today is your 3rd birthday -- and Mom's team is playing Duke -- well, there's another present you'd like as well (the very same one the Terps gave you and your Mom on the day you were born) . . . a win over the Blue Devils. And the Maryland team did not disappoint Markus and Tyler (or their Mom) today on the twins' birthday, delivering not only a win over Duke at Comcast tonight, but a crushing victory, 69-47. Happy Birthday indeed!!

In the first few minutes of the game, a blowout by the Terps was the furthest thing from our minds, as Maryland quickly fell behind, 0-7. But tough defense enabled the Terps to gradually claw their way back from that inauspicious start. In a low-scoring first half, Maryland managed to take an 8-point lead into the locker room at the break, 27-19.

As the final period got underway, the Terps built on that lead, stretching their margin to 12. However, a Duke run closed the gap to a single point. But that's as close as the Devils got. With the score at 39-38, Maryland dug in, went on a tear, and simply ran away with the game. To say that the more than 10,000 fans on hand (minus a smattering of Dukies) were thrilled, excited and enjoying themselves . . . would be an understatement.

Maryland's deep bench was a huge factor tonight. No Maryland starter played more than 27 minutes, while four of Duke's starters played between 32 and 36 minutes. The Terps' starters got more rest, thanks to Maryland's outstanding reserves, and it showed in the starters' performances. Playing only 27 minutes, Lynetta Kizer led all scorers with 17 points, and nabbed 9 rebounds and 3 steals (with no turnovers). Super frosh Alyssa Thomas outscored each of the two Duke Thomases, including Duke senior star Jasmine Thomas. In 26 minutes, Alyssa had yet another double-double, 15 points and 10 rebounds. (Jasmine Thomas led her team with 12 points in 34 minutes.) Ti-Hawk rounded out the Terps' double-digit scoring, with 10. And although she finished with only 2 points, Dara Taylor, off the bench, in 13 minutes of playing time, did a stellar job of harassing Duke's Jasmine Thomas on defense, while also taking care of the basketball on offense (zero TOs!). As is usually the case when Maryland records a big win, the key to the victory was a total team effort by the Terps' talented, athletic, and deep line-up.

Any time you knock off the #1 team in your conference (ranked #7 in the nation!), and you do it in front of a huge turnout of home fans, and you hold that team to fewer than 50 points, and that team just happens to be Duke . . . well, it just feels like your birthday, New Year's, and the 4th of July all rolled into one! So Happy Birthday . . . we definitely enjoyed tonight's fireworks! Way to go, Terps!

Photo Credit: DC BasketCases