Utah Utes women's basketball: Warburton, Utes ready for rematch

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — A pair of freshmen played in their second NCAA tournament game on March 27, 2006, in Albuquerque, N.M.

One of them, Utah's Morgan Warburton, scored 11 points off the bench that day as Maryland won, 75-65, in overtime after the Utes missed a free throw in the closing seconds that would have given them a one-point lead.

Kristi Tolliver, then a Maryland freshman, scored 28 in that game while battling the stomach flu.

"Obviously you can't forget that night," said Tolliver, who then led the Terrapins to the NCAA title a few days later.

Tolliver, now a senior, had 23 points in the first half and 27 overall on Sunday in a win over Dartmouth.

"She is a great shooter," Warburton said of Tolliver. "She is not afraid to take the shot."

Warburton, the Mountain West Conference player of the year in 2009, and reigning ACC player of the year, Tolliver, will meet again Tuesday at 5 p.m. (MDT) in the second round of the NCAA tourney.

"I think the leadership that year was amazing with Kim Smith," Warburton said of that 2006 Utah team. "It's a really exciting feeling to know that you got that far in the tournament. It's one of the best places to be playing in. I got to see that as a freshman, and to be able to tell the team about that is good for the team."

Maryland (29-4), the top seed, hosts No. 9 seed Utah in a game for the right to advance to the Sweet 16 in the Raleigh region. The Utes (23-9) can expect perhaps as many as 10,000 Terp fans to be on hand.

So does Warburton have unfinished business?

"I guess you could look at it like that," she said. "Maryland is obviously a very good team. We are not going to back down."

Last season Utah's season came to an end in a first-round loss on the home floor of Purdue. But Warburton said before practice Monday on the Maryland campus that she feels better about this year since her team has been able to play one game and hold practice at the Comcast Center before facing the host school.

"Last year left a bad taste in your mouth," Warburton said.

Utah will also have to contend with Maryland 6-foot-1 senior Marissa Coleman, who joined Tolliver on the all-ACC team.

"They are a really good one-two punch," said Kalee Whipple, a junior forward for Utah. "They are so good you are not going to completely shut them down."