ACC, CAA and Patriot League action: James Madison gives coach 200th victory in win vs. American, Maryland takes down Georgetown
With No. 11 Maryland hosting No. 10 Georgetown and perennial CAA contender James Madison at preseason Patriot favorite American the passionate basketball fans of the D-M-V region (D.C., Maryland, Virginia) had an opportunity to choose from two great games that were played just miles apart.
James Madison 68, American 64 2(OT)
It took James Madison two overtime periods to secure the 200th win for 10th-year Head Coach Kenny Brooks. The Dukes were lead by junior guard Tarik Hislop with 22 points, five of which came at the end of the game. American was lead by senior guard Lisa Strack who scored 13 points but missed a foul shot at the end of the first overtime with the score tied at 60.
Maryland 72, Georgetown 53
In College Park the stage was set for one of the most anticipated local rivalry games of the season as the Terrapins looked to exact some revenge on their home turf after the Hoyas ended their season in the second round of the NCAA tournament with a decisive 79 -57 win. From the opening tap it was evident that the Terps were ready for the Hoyas press and physical defense, even without the services of senior post Lynette Kizer. Senior guard Anjale Barrett(10 points, five assists) stepped up as a leader; she was confident handling the ball and limited her live ball turnovers. The Terps were lead by Alyssa Thomas; the sophomore wing had an outstanding game on both sides of the ball with 19 points and 15 rebounds, with her size and strength she was able to attack the middle of the defense and score at will. Junior Tiana Hawkins(17 points, 14 rebounds) and sophomore Alicia DeVaughan(14 points, 7 rebounds) were outstanding in the post, their ability to run floor and score in transition allowed Maryland to score easy buckets by throwing over the Georgetown press.
The story for Georgetown was the lack of offense from their star junior guard Sugar Rodgers (4 points, 1-12 FG) who struggled to find her shooting rhythm. A combination of 1st half foul trouble that sent her to the bench and some tenacious defense from sophomore Laurin Mincy (seven points, two assists) – Rodgers was scoreless for the first 20 minutes. As the second half began with the Terps up by eight, the entire arena seemed to be waiting for Sugar to do her thing and go on one of her patented scoring runs but it never came to fruition. Even when she tried to drive to the basket instead of settling for jumpers she couldn’t convert at the rim, as Maryland defenders stayed in her face. Senior point guard Ruby Lee Wright(13 points) did her best to keep Georgetown in the game with some timely baskets and senior forward Tia McKee was steady with 17 points and five rebounds. A bright spot for the Hoyas was the play of freshman guard Taylor Brown, who was the 2011 Washington Post Player of The Year. Brown came off the bench and scored nine points; she has the ability to break down defensives and slash to the basket and should continue to be an offensive spark as she adjusts to the college game.
