Hawkins leads parade of newcomers as Terrapins roll to exhibition victory
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Tianna Hawkins was a little nervous as she sat on the bench at the start of Maryland's first exhibition game on Wednesday night. But once the freshman forward took the floor against Bowie State, she looked calm and confident. Hawkins made the first six shots she attempted and scored a game-high 20 points in the Terrapins' 90-48 victory over the Bulldogs at Comcast Center.
Hawkins, an All-Met from Riverdale Baptist, is one of six newcomers on Maryland's 10-player roster. Two of them -- redshirt senior guard Lori Bjork, a transfer from Illinois, and freshman forward Diandra Tchatchouang -- joined sophomores Lynetta Kizer, Anjalé Barrett and Yemi Oyefuwa in the starting lineup against the Bulldogs, who were picked to finish first in the Division II Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association.
Bjork finished with 10 points and Tchatchouang added nine. Freshman point guard Dara Taylor had nine assists and three steals off the bench.
"I thought [what was] key for us was just seeing so many new players come out and play with the confidence they did," said Coach Brenda Frese, whose team is ranked 21st in the preseason coaches' poll. "I thought our freshmen didn't play like freshmen, that's what we're going to have to have throughout the course of the season."
During one five-minute span in the first half, Hawkins scored 13 straight points for the Terrapins. She also grabbed 10 rebounds.
Frese likes Hawkins's "versatility, the fact that she can go inside and outside and really is very active on the glass. That's what we got to be able to have from a rebounding end, to have her crashing the glass, giving us second-chance opportunities."
Maryland had used all 10 of its players by the midway point of the first half, and for one brief stretch had five players on the court who did not play for last season's ACC title team.
"It's much different than the last couple of years, with having Marissa [Coleman] and KT [Kristi Toliver] and all the upperclassmen," sophomore Kim Rodgers said.
Junior guard Brianna Taylor (Riverdale Baptist) led Bowie State with 11 points.
