Maryland guard Kristi Toliver established herself as one of the most dangerous shooters in the country last season when she hit a game-tying three-pointer with six second left in regulation over 6-foot-7 Duke center Alison Bales in the NCAA championship game.
Toliver proved again Friday that she is not afraid to take an important shot in a crucial situation when the sophomore nailed a three-pointer with 3:11 left in the second half to help lead Maryland to an 80-76 win at Middle Tennessee State. Toliver is averaging 12 points through two games this year, including 16 in just 11 minutes in Sunday?s 99-43 win over George Mason.
Performances like that have caught the attention of the women?s college basketball world, as Toliver ? along with fellow Terps Shay Doron, Crystal Langhorne and Marissa Coleman ? are on the watch list for the Wade Trophy, which is presented annually by the Women?s Basketball Coaches Association to the top player in the country.
“Kristi continues to be hungry and wanting to learn, which is tremendous,” Maryland coach Brenda Frese said. “… In terms of her game, she?s definitely shooting the ball with a lot more confidence when she takes shots in practice. There?s a big difference coming back your sophomore year when you know what to expect and you know the system and you know the plays your running and how to get everyone involved.”
Toliver, a Harrisonburg, Va., native, said playing against such top-flight competition in both the regular season in the Atlantic Coast Conference and in the NCAA tournament helped her adjust to the college game quicker than she expected.
Last season, she averaged 11.6 points, 4.4 assists 2.6 rebounds. In addition, she established the school record for free-throw percentage (.891) and the freshman mark for most three-pointers made (59) while shooting .404 from beyond the arc. Still, she knows there is still plenty of room for improvement.
“I?ve grown a lot from last year to this year,” Toliver said. “I?ve learned a lot from my mistakes, and I?m excited about showcasing what I?ve learned this year. My timing is also a lot better this year, and I also feel the chemistry I have with my teammates has improved this year.”
TOLIVER NOTES
» Kristi Toliver scored a career-high 28 points while battling a stomach flu against Utah in the Elite Eight of last year?s NCAA tournament. She also made six of nine 3-point attempts in that game.
» Toliver?s father, George, is an NBA referee. Her older sister, Carli, lettered at Lehigh in basketball in 2001-05.
» Current Maryland freshman Emery Wallace teamed with Toliver on the AAU Elkton Elks.
