Maryland coach Brenda Frese said the “Golden Girls” are alive and well in College Park.
No, Frese wasn?t referring to the stars of that long-running 1980s sitcom. Instead, she was referring to senior forward Crystal Langhorne and Laura Harper and junior guard Marissa Coleman, who each returned to school with a gold medal dangling from her neck.
Langhorne and Harper each played integral roles in leading the U.S. National Team to a first-place finish in the Under-21 World Championships in Russia. Coleman was a vital contributor in the U.S. National Team, winning the gold medal in the Pan American Games in Brazil.
“It was a great experience,” said Langhorne, who was named a preseason first-team All-American this week. “I was able to stay in great shape, play against some great basketball players and really get ready for the college season.”
Representing their country is nothing new for Langhorne, Harper and Coleman, who lead No. 4 Maryland tonight in its season opener against visiting Princeton in the Preseason WNIT at Comcast Center. The Terrapins are the preseason favorite to win the Atlantic Coast Conference title and are going after their second NCAA title in three years.
Langhorne and Harper now have two gold medals in international competition. Langhorne won her first gold in the 2005 FIBA U-19 World Championships, where shewas also named Most Outstanding Player. Harper earned her first gold medal with the national team when she helped lead the squad to victory in the qualifying tournament for the Junior World Championships in 2004.
In Russia, Langhorne averaged a team-high 15.6 points and 8.9 rebounds and shot 69.9 percent from the field on a team that also included Oklahoma?s Courtney Paris and Stanford?s Candice Wiggins, both All-Americans. Harper averaged posting 7.1 points and 5.8 rebounds and led the U.S. with six blocks.
Harper said playing for the U.S. was the perfect way for her to refocus herself after the disappointing end to Maryland?s season, which ended with a second-round upset loss to Mississippi in the NCAA Tournament.
“My summer, for me personally, was invigorating,” Harper said. “I was at a low point in my game and my confidence [last year]. Just leaving the country and playing with different people was just what I needed to bring me back to focus on this team and on basketball.”
Coleman shares a similar mindset. She wasn?t even sure she wanted to play for the U.S. this time around, but was glad she did after averaging 9.4 points on a team-high 69 percent shooting in addition to grabbing 4.2 rebounds per game.
The victory in the Pan American Games provided Coleman with her fourth gold in international competition. Coleman earned her first at the 2004 Junior World Championship qualifying tournament. In 2005, she won two more in the International Sports Invitational and one more with the national team that won the FIBA U-19 World Championship.
“I was hesitant to play this summer because of how last year ended,” Coleman said. “But what better way for me to get better than to play against some of the top competition in the world. It was a lot of fun and a great experience.”
TERRAPINS AT A GLANCE
» Coach: Brenda Frese (Sixth season 112-51, 169-81 overall)
» Last Year: 28-6 overall, 10-4 in ACC. Lost to North Carolina in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament, 78-72. Lost to Mississippi in second round of NCAA Tournament, 89-78.
» Returning players: G Marrisa Coleman, 6-1, 13.2 ppg, 7.5 rpg, .802 FT%; F Laura Harper, 6-4, 10.4 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 65 blocks; F Crystal Langhorne, 6-2, 14.9 ppg, 8.1 rpg, .707 FG%; G Kristi Toliver, 5-8, 12.3 ppg, 4.7 apg, .877 FT%; G Christie Marrone, 5-6, 2.5 ppg, 1.6 apg; G Ashleigh Newman, 6.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg, .342 3FG%; F Jade Perry, 6-1, 5.7 ppg, 5.5 rpg; G Sa?de Wiley-Gatewood, 5-9, 6.3 ppg, 2.5 apg.
» Top Newcomer: G Marah Strickland. The 6-foot former Towson Catholic star has wowed coaches early in the preseason after averaging 22.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.4 steals a game as a high school senior.
» Big Game: Dec. 3 at Rutgers. Maryland?s difficult preseason schedule continues takes them to the Jimmy V Classic. The Terrapins will travel to New Jersey and take on a Scarlet Knights team that surprised many by advancing all the way to the NCAA finals last season, where they fell to Tennessee.
» Key to the Season: Maryland will go as far as Langhorne will take it. Even on a star-studded roster filled with All-American candidates, Langhorne?s presence on the low post will free up others on the team to make plays. The senior is third on the school?s all-time scoring list (1,711) and second all-time in rebounds (939).
» Tickets: Adult $8-10. Youth $6-8. For information, call 1-800-IM-A-TERP.
» Key number: 14.3. The rebounding margin advantage per game for Maryland last season, which was best in the country.
? Ron Snyder
