When the student section belts out “Rock and Roll, Part II,” it’s truly a party. Throw in a full house of sign-waving crazies plus national TV and Maryland women’s basketball finally proved it’s no longer secondary to the Terrapins’ male counterparts.
Funny what a national title can do.
The No. 3 Terps eclipsed the ACC single-game attendance mark in their 84-71 loss to No. 2 North Carolina Sunday night with 17,950 filling Comcast Center. While plenty of young girls made the “Scream for Ice Cream” contest akin to a Hanson concert, there were also plenty of alumni and a full student section. This from a program that seldom cracked a grand in the stands before coach Brenda Frese’s 2002 arrival.
“I’m proud that Maryland owns the attendance record and it was our own record we surpassed,” Terps athletic director Debbie Yow said.
Comcast and predecessor Cole Field House have long served as common ground for the state’s fans split by Washington and Baltimore sports loyalties. The “Oh” yell during the national anthem isn’t scorned by Washingtonians despite the campus lying closer to the nation’s capital. The basketball courtserves as a town hall for Marylanders.
However, nothing truly elevates a Maryland game to major event status like North Carolina and Duke, which arrives Feb. 18 to another sellout. Students ignored Tar Heel introductions by pretending to read the newspaper while red glow sticks and 10-foot torches greeted Maryland’s starters.
“Fear These Women” read one fan’s sign.
Actually, Maryland had less to fear from North Carolina than its own mistakes. The first-half shooting was colder than a Nancy Pelosi stare. The Terps were all butterfingers with too many turnovers. The Tar Heels converted second chances too often while the Terps’ shots regularly leaked off the rim to give North Carolina a double-digit buffer for much of the game.
But what a grand comeback. Down 20 points, the Terps steadily wore down the Tar Heels while the crowd stayed to show the sellout wasn’t a marketing gimmick. It was the same roar that follows the men’s games. Maryland closed to 67-66 before North Carolina once more pulled away. Still, the Terps showed defending champions don’t surrender.
Ultimately, it was only the warmup for the NCAA Tournament. Maryland, North Carolina and Duke could be No. 1 seeds vying for their second straight Final Four appearances. That’s when these games will truly count. Until then, Comcast has two teams worth watching.
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Contact him at [email protected].
