Terps need to get defensive

No. 3 Maryland (20-1) has held six opponents to less than 50 points, the most since the 1996-97 season when the Terps set the school record in the shot-clock era with 10.

The Terps also entered the week fifth in the 12-team Atlantic Coast Conference in scoring defense (57.6), third in field-goal percentage defense (.354) and tops in three-point field-goal percentage defense (.242).

However, Maryland coach Brenda Frese said while she is pleased with the Terps? overall play, she is concerned with their inconsistent play on defense, including Sunday?s 83-60 win over Wake Forest.

Frese said she thought Maryland made strides onthe defensive end during Friday?s 95-68 win over Virginia. But she added that lapses like they experienced against Wake Forest could lead to a long night against a team like No. 2 North Carolina (22-0), which Maryland hosts on Sunday.

“That is an area where our focus cannot be there anymore than it is already,” Frese said of the defense. “They made strides against UVA, and they have to be able to do that consistently across the board.”

Following the Virginia win, Frese said in order to be successful in the long-term she asked her players to step outside their comfort zone ? namely, playing only offense, an area where Maryland is second in the ACC at 87.5 points per game.

Sophomore forward Marissa Coleman agrees with Frese that the Terps have to play consistent defense for 40 minutes if they want to repeat as national champions.

“It is something that we can control,” Coleman said. “We will do it for one game, and then the next game, we will fall off. We need to work on getting more consistent with it if we want to get back to where we were last year.”

DEFENSIVE NOTES

» Maryland entered the week first in rebounding defense, allowing just 29 a game.

» Maryland is also tops in the ACC in rebounding margin, at plus-17.3, and fifth in blocks per game (4.33).