Essence Townsend Class: Junior Hometown: Paterson, N.J. High School: Paterson Catholic Height: 6-7 Position: C Experience: 2V

Frese on Townsend: "While recruiting Essence, we knew she had the tools to be good. Once we got her on campus and started working with her, we realized she has even more potential than we thought. She really has worked to get better and at 6' 7" she adds a height advantage to our inside game. I'm excited to watch Essence progress even further this season."

As a Junior (2011-12): Saw action in 16 games...notched four boards vs. Loyola (Nov. 11)...had three blocks vs. Towson (Nov. 16)...dumped in a bucket at FIU (Nov. 25)...grabbed three offensive boards vs. CSUB (Nov. 26)... pulled down a board and notched a block in four minutes at American (Dec. 4)...scored career-high 10 points in 21 minutes vs. Delaware State with four rebounds and four blocks (Dec. 11)...tied her career-high 10 points and grabbed a season-high seven rebounds in 13 minutes vs. Lafayette (Dec. 28)...saw action at Florida State (Jan. 2)...scored three points and grabbed two rebounds in four minutes vs. Wake Forest (Jan. 19)...made a bucket, grabbed four boards and blocked three shots vs. Boston College (Feb. 2)...grabbed five boards with a block in nine minutes vs. Virginia in ACC Second Round (March 2)...received team's Terp Award at annual banquet for her character and commitment to the team's core values.

As a Sophomore (2010-11): Saw action in 15 of 31 games... scored first bucket of the season against La Salle (Dec. 28)... scored in final minute against No. 10 UNC (Jan. 23)... went 2-for-4 at the line in 10 minutes against Wake Forest (Jan. 28)... saw first half action in season-high 12 minutes against Longwood. Went 2-for-3 from the field for career-high six points with four rebounds, a block and a steal. Also hit two of two free throws against the Lancers (Jan. 30).

As a Freshman (2009-10): Saw action in 19 games...led all players with nine rebounds and four blocks against North Carolina Central (Nov. 14) ... for the second game on the season, led the team in rebounds with a career-high seven defensive boards in her 16 minutes on the court against Samford (Nov. 24) ... against Minnesota posted two blocks in just three seconds (Dec. 3) ... grabbed three rebounds in three minutes against St. Joseph's (Jan. 3) ... pulled down six boards in just 10 minutes on the floor against Clemson (Feb. 14).

Before Maryland: An all-state, all-county and all-league selection for the Cougars as a senior ... led high school team to the 2009 Tournament of Champions and a final four berth ... was a first-team all-league and all-county choice from sophomore through senior seasons ... all-league honorable mention as a freshman ... once recorded 21 blocks in a game and can dunk.

Personal: Essence A'Nija Townsend ... favorite athlete is Essence Carson ... enjoys eating, shopping and hanging out with friends ... non-sports hero is her great aunt ... chose Maryland for the strength of the basketball program ... also recruited by Pittsburgh, Delaware State, Rutgers and Seton Hall among others.

TOWNSEND'S CAREER STATISTICS

TOWNSEND'S CAREER HIGHS