A resolution to commend the University of Maryland women's basketball team for winning the 2006 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I National Basketball Championship.

Mr. President, on behalf of Senator Sarbanes and myself, I call up a resolution which is at the desk and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. President, I offer this resolution on behalf of Senator Sarbanes and myself.

Yes, the women's basketball team of the University of Maryland did win the women's basketball championship. I am here today to offer this resolution and to state I am so proud of the young women of this championship basketball team.

Led by Coach B, Brenda Frese, the Terps finished the season with a record of 34 wins and 4 losses, a fine record for any basketball team. It was especially sweet because those Terps defied all expert predictions.

Last night was a game for the history books. It went into overtime and, at the same time, was in overdrive.

I have to say a word about our worthy opponent, the Blue Devils. They were champions, too. What we saw on the court was fierce play, brilliant strategy, and the American value of sportsmanship.

But there is only one winner of each game, and although Duke played very well, our Maryland Lady Terps were, indeed, a story champion. The University of Maryland has a fine basketball tradition. The national championship team exemplifies all that is good about it. They are student athletes. They study 2 hours a day to make sure they are going to graduate and have fulfilled the American dream while they are out there playing the hoop dream.

Last night proved to the country their maturity, their grace under pressure, their skill, and their indomitable spirit.

The most outstanding player of the tournament, Laura Harper, held the Terps together, scoring in that first half when Duke was playing great defense. But in the second half, after Coach B's terrific motivational speech, they were out there and the colors shone through. Behind by 13 points with only 15 minutes left, they would not give up to pressure. Coach B called her team to the bench for a breather, and they returned to the court as if there were no deficit to overcome. The energy and the poise of the tri-captains--Shay Doron, scooting down that court, dashing through the defense of the Blue Devils, zinging in for her points and, at the same time, making most of her free throws; Crystal Langhorne, though boxed in, did a dramatic steal and surged ahead; and there was Charmaine Carr, backing up the team.

This pushed the team over the hump. As the clock wound down, the Terps had closed the gap and finally we were into overtime. Then a freshman guard, Kristi Toliver, came down the floor. They had her boxed in, yet from a dramatic distance she made a magical three-pointer with only 6 seconds left. And as the Terps fans know, it was fear the turtle. It showed that overtime is our time.

Freshman Marissa Coleman played superb basketball. We all know the outcome.

When the final buzzer sounded, the University of Maryland Terrapins were crowned the national champion.

I congratulate the players and the coach for the excitement of such a wonderful game and a wonderful season, and I congratulate them on their sportsmanship.

Elizabeth Dole and I had a bet on the outcome. By the way, you should know that in order to be in the final four you have to have a woman Senator here. There was LSU, Senator Landrieu; Senator Dole had to have two teams, and there she was; and, of course, Senator Barb Mikulski with her Terrapins. Senator Dole and I had a friendly bet, my crab cakes against her barbecue. We shared some barbecue together and some of their sweet tea, which is as nice as our friendship.

That is what sportsmanship is. Hats off to the Terps, and hats off to title IX that made it all possible.

I will not yield that championship next year.

I ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table.

Mr. President, it is with a profound sense of Maryland pride and pleasure that I rise in joining my Maryland colleague, Senator Barbara Mikulski, in introducing a resolution congratulating the University of Maryland Terrapins for winning the 2006 NCAA Women's National Basketball Championship. Joining us in this effort is the Maryland House delegation, spearheaded by University of Maryland alum, Congressman Steny Hoyer.

As our resolution highlights, this has been a terrific run for the women's basketball team. The team notched 33 wins, the most for any Division I men's or women's basketball team this season. Maryland was also the only team in the Nation to score more than 3,000 points. With this championship, the team became only the fourth school to secure championships in both men's and women's basketball, joining Stanford University, the University of Connecticut and the University of North Carolina.

Maryland, after its stellar regular season, was surprisingly selected as a No. 2 seed. The young team, which started two freshmen, two sophomores and one junior, seemed to thrive on the NCAA selection committee's underestimation. They played in, and won, six overtime games this season, including the positively thrilling come-from-behind- victory in the championship game. Down by thirteen points with fifteen minutes left in regulation, the Terps kept chipping away at the lead, capping it off with a terrific three point shot by freshman guard, Kristi Toliver, to tie the game at 70 with 6.1 seconds left in regulation.

In overtime the Lady Terps showed why they consider the extra period to be ``their time.'' Smothering defense and poise in shooting free throws secured the brilliant win down the final stretch.

The championship team consisted of senior guard/forward Charmaine Carr, freshman guard/forward Marissa Coleman, junior guard Shay Doron, junior guard Kalika France, sophomore forward/center Laura Harper, sophomore center/forward Crystal Langhorne, sophomore guard Christie Marrone, sophomore guard Ashleigh Newman, junior center Aurelie Noirez, sophomore forward/center Jade Perry, senior forward/center Angel Ross, freshman guard Kristi Toliver, and sophomore guard Sa'de Wiley- Gatewood. Their victory could not have been secured without the talented coaches and staff led by head coach Brenda Frese, assisted by coaches Jeff Walz, Erica Floyd, and Joanna Bernabei. Finally, I'd like to acknowledge the director of basketball operations, Mark Pearson and athletic director Debbie Yow.

On behalf of the State of Maryland, the Maryland congressional delegation and the University of Maryland, I ask my colleagues to join me in acknowledging the outstanding efforts of this amazing group of basketball players, coaches and staff.

Cheer the turtle!