Marissa Coleman is the emotional leader of the Lady Terps (and one of the best players in the country), but at times this year, she's played second fiddle to PG Kristi Toliver. In the second round, though, she was the star of the game, with a 15 point, 15 board performance.
That was nothing compared to today's game. Coleman probably played the game of her life, and it was one of the best performances I've ever seen in any sport. Maryland had trailed the entire game, down by 11 with seven minutes left. Coleman put the team on her back completely, dropping crossovers and hitting crazy pull up jumpers left and right. If you didn't watch the game, you really don't know how Coleman dominated. She ended up hitting the game-winning basket with 27 seconds left. There were a few "can't believe your eyes" shots in the final few minutes.
Coleman ended up with an astounding 42 and 15. In case you're wondering, that's fifth most points in women's NCAA tournament history. Obviously, you can't directly compare it to performances by the men's team (like Greivis Vasquez's earlier this year), but it was easily one of the best I've witnessed in any sport by a Maryland athlete. Coleman definitely deserves props for that amazing game.