The Terps outscored the Badgers by eight in the fourth quarter.
Coming off of yet another loss to a ranked opponent, Maryland women’s basketball was in desperate need of a win in its final home game of the season Thursday.
From the opening tip against Wisconsin, the Terps made sure they wouldn’t lose.
“I loved our intensity from the tip,” head coach Brenda Frese said.
They dominated throughout the first half, shooting 50% from 3-point range while forcing the Badgers into 13 turnovers, all key in a leading to a 20-point halftime advantage. A third-quarter push from Wisconsin would be all for naught as Maryland came out on top, 79-63.
In spite of Wisconsin shooting over 50% from the field in the third quarter, Maryland’s best players showed up in the end. Jakia Brown-Turner put up 18 points in a double-double showing, Bri McDaniel added 16 points and Shyanne Sellers finished with 16 points, five assists and three steals.
Maryland’s defense made the true difference all night long, though, not heavily relying on its traditional zone defense as it held Wisconsin to 5-of-20 shooting from three while forcing 20 total turnovers.
“Statistically, you could see that they were a team that turns the ball over a lot,” said Frese.
The Badgers also had to fight through early injuries, with guards D’Yanis Jimenez and San Copeland both forced out of the game.
Maryland outscored Wisconsin in the opening frame, 17-8, holding the Badgers to four made field goals on 13 attempts. Tight man defense by the Terps was key in putting Wisconsin out of rhythm.
As the second quarter began, Maryland’s strong defense really led to easy offense. The Terps recorded eight points off turnovers, and were easily able to get out in transition with Wisconsin’s poor 3-point shooting.
Every Terp that touched the floor in the first half scored, while only four Wisconsin players scored over four points during the opening 20 minutes.
Despite being shorthanded, a different Wisconsin team came out of the locker room in the third quarter. More important than the fact that it shot over 50% from the field in the frame, it was able to hold onto the ball, committing just four turnovers. It also was able to efficiently get to the free-throw line, making eight of nine attempts.
The Badgers put up 25 points in the frame while holding Maryland to just 12, turning what was trending towards a blowout into an eight-point game headed into the final 10 minutes.
But in the fourth, Maryland breezed past the Badgers, going on a 10-2 run after seeing its lead cut down to just six points. Sellers, who had six points entering the quarter, scored 10 in the quarter to secure a crucial victory.
“We needed that scoring from others, and [Sellers] was able to do that,” Frese said.
Three things to know
1. The Terps commanded the second quarter. While Maryland struggled to close out the first half at times this season, Thursday’s game was an exception. The Terps forced seven Wisconsin turnovers and extended their lead to 20, creating an insurmountable deficit for the Badgers.
2. McDaniel continued her strong play. McDaniel followed up a 21-point outing at Ohio State with a 16-point performance Thursday. She came out especially strong, scoring 12 points in the first half to go along with two steals and two assists. She has scored in double digits in three straight games since going scoreless against Penn State on Feb. 18.
“I’m just being more confident in myself,” McDaniel said.
3. A huge win for Maryland. Even though this season has been a down year by its standards, Maryland is in solid position for an at-large NCAA Tournament bid after downing Wisconsin. In ESPN’s recent Bracketology, the Terps were one of the last four teams in the field.