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Maryland
Maryland earns Week 1 women's basketball team of the week honors
NCAA.com team of the week, Maryland capped a three-win first week with an 85-80 home win over longtime rival and No. 11 ranked Duke on Sunday. This was the Terrapins first matchup against the Blue Devils since they defeated Duke in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament on March 28, 2015, and it was a rematch of the 2006 national championship game, also won by Maryland. It was the 82nd matchup all-time against Duke, with both schools now tied at 41 wins apiece in the competitive head-to-head series.
The Terps improved to 3-0 with the victory and moved from No. 18 to 11 in Monday’s AP Top 25 Women’s Basketball Poll. The Blue Devils were handed their first loss of the season to fall to 2-1. The win was Maryland’s first ranked win of the season and the Terps’ 96th under head coach Brenda Frese. The 85 points were a season-high for Maryland, which improved to 94-7 when scoring 80 points or more over the last six seasons.
READ MORE: South Carolina, UConn top Week 1 women’s basketball Power 10
In the win over Duke, the Terps led from start to finish, opening the game with nine unanswered points while forcing the Blue Devils to miss their first five shots from the floor. They remained in control the rest of the way, leading by as many as 15 early in the fourth period.
Maryland had four scorers reach double figures as junior Kaylene Smikle led the way with 23 points, including connecting on all three of her 3-point field goal attempts. Shyanne Sellers backed Smikle with 17 points while dishing out seven assists to go along with five rebounds, while Bri McDaniel added 15 points, including 11 in the second half. Christina Dalce also impacted the game, scoring 12 points, grabbing 14 rebounds and blocking a shot.
The Terrapins earlier in the week had scored wins over UMBC (74-32) on Nov. 4 and Coppin State (70-47) on Nov. 7. Smikle led the way for the week, averaging 16.7 points per game, including leading all scorers with 20 points in the win over Coppin State.
Maryland will return to action on Nov. 13 at Syracuse.
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Maryland
Damp and cold end to Maryland’s week
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Maryland
Ex-teacher who sexually abused 14-year-old Maryland student to serve fraction of 30-year sentence
A former middle school teacher who repeatedly sexually abused a 14-year-old student in Maryland has been sentenced to three decades in prison, but she’ll only serve one year, a judge ruled.
Melissa Marie Curtis, 32, pleaded guilty to three counts of a third-degree sex offense on June 20, according to information from the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office and District Court of Maryland court papers obtained by USA TODAY on Wednesday.
The Montgomery County Police Department initiated an investigation in early October 2023 when the eighth-grade victim, now an adult, reported he was sexually abused by Curtis who was a teacher at Montgomery Village Middle School, according to a previous news release from the agency.
At the time of the offenses, detectives reported, the student was 14 years old and Curtis was 22.
Judge: Teacher to serve 12 months in jail
Curtis, who is from the town of Upper Marlboro in Prince George’s County, was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Friday, a spokesperson for the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office told USA TODAY Wednesday.
But Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Theresa Chernosky suspended most of Curtis’ sentence, allowing her to serve 12 months year in jail followed by five years of supervised probation, the spokesperson said.
When she is released, Curtis must register as a sex offender, the spokesperson said, and will not be permitted to have unsupervised contact with minors other than her children.
The prosecutors office did not respond to a request for comment about the sentencing.
Teacher abused 14-year-old in classroom, car, at home
The victim told detectives the abuse began in 2015, the spokesperson said, when he volunteered for an after-school program that Curtis was running and “they were often alone together”
Charging documents show the victim told detectives Curtis sexually abused him in a classroom, in a car, at his home, and as well as Curtis’ home “more than 20 times” when he was in middle school. The complaint goes onto say Curtis also gave the boy drugs and alcohol multiple times.
A warrant for Curtis’s arrest was obtained on Oct. 31, 2023 and Curtis turned herself in on Nov. 7, 2023, officials reported.
At the time, Curtis had been a teacher for about two years in Montgomery County and taught at Lakelands Park Middle School as well.
A spokesperson told Fox 5 Curtis left Montgomery County Public Schools in 2017.
USA TODAY has reached out to Montgomery County Public Schools.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.
Maryland
Letter: Proud to be a Marylander, despite election results
As a lifelong Marylander, this state has profoundly shaped my identity and beliefs. Though the election results were disappointing, I remain proud to call Maryland home. Vice President Kamala Harris won Maryland decisively, breaking barriers everywhere. Marylanders supported her vision for unity, compassion and progress — a testament to our values.
I was born and raised in West Baltimore, where I attended Gwynns Falls Elementary and Lemmel Junior High. I later attended Frederick Douglass High, transferring from the nearly all-white Western High. Douglass brought me closer to my community, where I found strength and solidarity. Morgan State University further shaped me, leading to a teaching career in Baltimore. These schools nurtured my potential and strengthened my values.
For over 50 years, I have been married to the love of my life, sharing a journey and raising our family here. This election reminded me why I love Maryland, with our visible and impactful Black leadership. Our governor, attorney general and senator-elect exemplify diversity. This same goes for our mayor, speaker of the State House, and other officials, including the CEO of Baltimore City Schools.
Still, many in Maryland do not embrace true diversity and inclusion. We face struggles in Baltimore , and we remain a work in progress statewide. Maryland’s push for freedom and progress are personal to me as the CEO of the AFRO, Maryland’s oldest Black-owned business.
Founded by my great-grandfather John H. Murphy Sr. in 1892, the AFRO has long been a voice for justice and equality. My grandparents were also civil rights leaders. Carl Murphy, a Spingarn Medal recipient, was publisher of the AFRO from 1922 to 1967. Vashti Turley Murphy co-founded Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., an organization devoted to sisterhood, scholarship and service. My paternal grandfather, Dr. Francis Marion Wood, was Baltimore’s first director of Baltimore City Colored Schools. Their legacies underscore the need for perseverance, courage and faith.
Kamala Harris’ campaign reflected the dreams of many Marylanders. I am grateful to live somewhere that embodies the values I hold dear. In that, I find unshakeable pride, and I will always be proud to be a Marylander.
Frances Murphy Draper is president and CEO of AFRO American Newspapers.
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