No. 4 Rutgers, Prince Hand Terps First Loss of Season
Rutgers 68, Maryland 60
From News Services and Staff Reports
Tuesday, December 4, 2007;
Page E10
PISCATAWAY, N.J., Dec. 3 -- With two starters on the bench in foul trouble and Rutgers down 10 points, Scarlet Knights sophomore Epiphanny Prince took over.
Prince had 22 points, 10 assists and 7 rebounds and keyed a second-half run to help No. 4 Rutgers beat third-ranked Maryland, 68-60, in the sixth annual Jimmy V Women's Basketball Classic on Monday night.
  Myia McCurdy (24) takes a shot, absorbs a shot in a collision with Maryland's Ashleigh Newman. Rutgers's late run capped the win. (By Mel Evans -- Associated Press) TOOLBOXCOMMENT |
Save/Share 
Print This
E-mail This 
CLOSE
"Epiphanny did a tremendous job when Matee [Ajavon] and Kia [Vaughn] went out," Maryland Coach Brenda Frese said. "Unfortunately, we didn't. She brought them energy in the second half."
Ajavon added 15 points for the Scarlet Knights (5-1). Essence Carson, who missed Rutgers' victory over Saint Joseph's on Wednesday with a strained hip flexor, also had 15.
Trailing 41-31 with 12 minutes 57 seconds left and Vaughn and Ajavon on the bench, Rutgers went on a 15-4 run capped by back-to-back three-pointers by Prince to give the Scarlet Knights a 46-45 lead. It was Rutgers' first lead since midway through the first half.
"She took the shots that were there when we needed them," Carson said of Prince. "She did a great job distributing the ball."
Rutgers extended the lead to 55-50 before Kristi Toliver's three-pointer made it a two-point game.
Toliver surpassed the 1,000-point mark with another three-pointer with 1:33 left that made it 61-57, but Maryland could get no closer as Rutgers hit its free throws down the stretch. The junior guard became the third Terrapins player this season to pass the 1,000-point milestone.
Marissa Coleman led Maryland (10-1) with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Toliver added 15 points, but made only 4 of 15 shots. The Terrapins shot only 21.7 percent (5 for 23) in the second half.
"Credit their defense, contesting every shot," Frese said.
The game featured contrasting styles of play with the up-tempo Terrapins against the defensive-minded Scarlet Knights.
For the first 15 minutes, Rutgers had the tempo to its liking. The game was slow-paced and the score was tied at 20.
