Terps, Blue Devils learn from losses

The women?s basketball teams from No. 6 Maryland and top-ranked Duke both understand that, showing their resiliency following tough defeats.

For Duke, that loss came in overtime to Maryland in the national title game last year. Since then, the Blue Devils are a perfect 27-0, including a 12-0 mark in the Atlantic Coast Conference following a 73-52 win over Boston College (12-13, 2-9) Thursday.

Maryland (25-3, 9-3) weathered back-to-back losses to No. 2 North Carolina and unranked Georgia Tech a few weeks ago to win four in a row, including a 74-60 come-from-behind win Thursday at Florida State (18-8, 7-4).

The two teams look to keep their good fortunes going at 6 p.m. Sunday when Maryland hosts Duke in from of a sellout crowd at Comcast Center. Duke won the last meeting in the series, 81-62, on Jan. 13.

“I think the two losses are under totally different circumstances,” Duke coach Gail Goestenkors said. “Our loss was in the national championship game, which was the last game of the season and the last game of the careers of many of our players. Maryland?s loss was just a game in the middle of the season. Maybe it was a good thing for them. [Maryland coach] Brenda [Frese] got them refocused and back in the gym and made them a better team.”

Frese said her team is excited about playing in front of Maryland?s second sellout of the season. The Terps also had a packed crowd for their Jan. 28 loss to North Carolina.

For Frese, the sellout is symbolic of all of the hard work her players have put in since she arrived in 2002, including seniors Shay Doron and Aurelie Noirez. Doron, a guard, and Noirez, a center, will be playing in their last home game Sunday.

“It couldn?t be more fitting than to have a sold-out Comcast Center for the seniors? last game,” Frese said. “I spoke with Shay about this last night. She remembers when you could count the number of fans in the stands. And now we?ve got our second sellout of the year.”