Maryland beat Alabama by 36 in the 2nd round in 2021. The Crimson Tide hope they've closed the gap

Maryland beat Alabama by 36 in the 2nd round in 2021. The Crimson Tide hope they’ve closed the gap

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Alabama head coach Kristy Curry celebrates a basket during the second half against Green Bay in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 22, 2025, in College Park, Md. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

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Maryland head coach Brenda Frese directs her team during the second half against Norfolk State in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 22, 2025, in College Park, Md. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

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Alabama guard Zaay Green celebrates hitting a 3-point basket during the second half against Green Bay in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 22, 2025, in College Park, Md. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

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Maryland guard Sarah Te-Biasu (1) shoots a 3-point basket during the second half against Norfolk State in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 22, 2025, in College Park, Md. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

By NOAH TRISTER

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — The last time Alabama faced Maryland was four years ago, during the Crimson Tide’s first trip to the NCAA Tournament under coach Kristy Curry.

It wasn’t pretty for the Tide. The Terrapins prevailed by 36 points in a game played in Texas because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“That obviously was a different experience — and not one that we want to have tomorrow night,” Curry said Sunday. “But certainly, that group laid the foundation for us to be in this position.”

Alabama will get another shot at Maryland on Monday, and a win over the fourth-seeded Terrapins would put the fifth-seeded Crimson Tide in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1998. Alabama lost in the second around last year to Texas.

The 100-64 defeat against Maryland in 2021 was also in the second round. The Terps were the No. 2 seed and Alabama was the No. 7. It was a forgettable game for the Crimson Tide — and not an especially memorable one for the winning side either.

“I don’t even recall that,” Maryland coach Brenda Frese said. “I’ve had so many games under my belt.”

How much has changed in four years since that Maryland-Alabama matchup? A freshman named Angel Reese scored 19 points in 19 minutes for the Terps that day. Now Maryland (24-7) and Alabama (24-8) are seperated by just one seed line — although the gap between the programs has been substantial over the past quarter-century.

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The Terps have made 11 Sweet 16 trips under Frese.

There was a time when Frese and Curry both coached in the state of Indiana. Frese spent two seasons at Ball State from 1999-2001, when Curry was beginning a seven-year run at Purdue.

“That’s how far back we go,” Frese said. “She’s always had her team ready to play. They play at a really high level. They do things the right way. Her kids, they’re experienced and playing to get back home.”

The winner of this game advances to a regional semifinal that will be played in Birmingham, Alabama.

“They’ll have a lot of motivation,” Frese said.

A long journey

Zaay Green was more than ready for her return to the NCAA Tournament, scoring 22 points in the Crimson Tide’s first-round win over Green Bay. Her college career has been a seven-year odyssey of transfers and injuries, but she’s finally been able to stay on the court consistently these last couple seasons.

“I just missed it a lot. I missed being in this environment and playing in this atmosphere and playing on a good team like this,” Green said. “It was very exciting.”

Green actually played in her first NCAA Tournament game in College Park back in 2019, when she was a freshman at Tennessee. Then she missed almost the entire 2019-20 season before transferring to Texas A&M. She played sparingly for the Aggies during their Sweet 16 run in 2021, then transferred again to Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

She played for UAPB in 2022 and 2024 but missed the season in between. Now she’s at Alabama.

“A lot of people know my story. It wasn’t the best going to Arkansas-Pine Bluff and having to face that, my trials and tribulations with my knees, tearing both my ACLs,” she said. “Yeah it was a lot of hard work and dedication and I had given up on myself. I always try to remind myself and tell myself to be resilient through everything.”

Sarah’s shooting

One of the big reasons Maryland is hosting the first two rounds of this tournament is Sarah Te-Biasu’s last-second 3-pointer that beat Ohio State on March 2.

Te-Biasu has been on quite a run. After going 6 for 8 from 3-point range in the first round against Norfolk State, she’s now 37 of 74 over her past 12 games.

“Confidence, I can see the way she leads us, a lot more vocal now,” teammate Kaylene Smikle said. “She’s a lot more confident taking her shot from the beginning.”

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