Seniors In Spotlight For Terps, Louisville

RALEIGH, N.C., March 29 -- Louisville senior forward Candyce Bingham watched the second half of top-seeded Maryland's wild 78-74 victory over Vanderbilt on Saturday afternoon, and, like many others, marveled at the 42-point, 15-rebound effort put forth by Terrapins senior Marissa Coleman. But the moment that stood out the most for Bingham wasn't one of Coleman's clutch baskets or timely rebounds. It actually came during a break in the action.

"When they had a timeout, I saw her sitting on the coach's stool, talking to the team," Bingham said. "That tells you she was wanting her team to win really, really bad. She showed that in her performance, too. And why not? She's a senior; she didn't want it to be her last game."

Indeed, the Terrapins' win over fourth-seeded Vanderbilt in a round-of-16 game was notable for the way their two seniors, Coleman and guard Kristi Toliver, repeatedly made plays down the stretch as Maryland (31-4) fought back from a double-digit deficit. Coleman and Toliver combined to score 37 of Maryland's 42 second-half points, and Toliver had the assist on the layup by Dee Liles that gave the team its first lead, with 2 minutes 7 seconds remaining.

"The feelings that we have right now are great. We're so confident going into this game," Coleman said. "Even [against Vanderbilt] when we were down, I didn't think we were going to lose. Kristi and I are so determined right now not to let our careers end. I don't think there's a coach in this country, honestly, that can devise a plan or have some defensive strategy that can stop that, because that's all will and determination."

But when the Terrapins face third-seeded Louisville (32-4) in the South Region final on Monday night at RBC Center, they will be playing a team that also centers around a pair of talented and determined seniors.

Bingham and wing Angel McCoughtry, like Toliver and Coleman, are considered to be among the best players in the country at their positions. In the Cardinals' 56-39 win over second-seeded Baylor on Saturday, McCoughtry had 22 points and 12 rebounds, and Bingham posted 15 points and 15 rebounds.

Over the final 8:50, they combined for 11 points and seven rebounds as Louisville used an 18-2 run to turn a tight game into a blowout.

"The NCAA tournament -- it doesn't matter if it's the men's side or the women's side -- it seems to be a great launching pad for stars to shine," said Doris Burke, who is doing color commentary for ESPN in Raleigh. "To me, the best players in the country, it's not about physical talent; it's really about wanting to compete and making the hardest moments your best moments."

Coleman and McCoughtry have been the faces of their respective teams during the postseason. Coleman, a two-time All-Met at St. John's, was named the most valuable player of the ACC tournament after averaging 23 points and 9.7 rebounds and playing 123 of a possible 125 minutes in three games.

McCoughtry, a Baltimore native who was recruited by Maryland but decided to go elsewhere after Coleman committed to the Terrapins, led Louisville to the final of the Big East tournament, and averaged 25 points and nine rebounds.

Both players are extremely versatile; at 6 feet 1, they are capable of grabbing a defensive rebound and then triggering the offense. Both are extremely competitive -- McCoughtry recently told Sports Illustrated, "On a scale of one to 10, I'm a 50." They love to be in the gym, working on their games.

"I joke with [McCoughtry] that I'm not sure how many friends she has, because she's always in the gym," Louisville Coach Jeff Walz said. "But she will manage to find one or two to come rebound the basketball for her, so I give her that."

During the summer leading up to her junior season, Coleman took part in early-morning workouts with Greivis Vasquez of the Maryland men's team.

This past summer, she and redshirt freshman Kim Rodgers often went to Comcast Center at night for an hour or so to shoot and work on their ballhandling.

"Marissa doesn't like to lose anything," Rodgers said. "In the summer at pick-up, we usually play a series of games. If her team happens to lose that series, she always wants to go an extra game until her team gets the win."

Louisville has never played in a region final; Maryland is playing in its third in four years. Coleman and Toliver are the only players left in the tournament who have won a national title.

"Here's the difference that I see in Marissa Coleman and Kristi Toliver this year, more than in the last two," Burke said. "There is a single-minded approach with both of them that seems to say -- whether in body language, in words, in attitude, and also translated to what they're doing on the court -- I will do whatever it takes to get myself to a national championship game.

"It goes beyond their physical basketball skills. It's more about how they're approaching everything: every rebound, every possession. Are they playing mistake-free basketball? No. But they are attacking the game."