The Terps were down by a point heading into the fourth quarter.
With 10 minutes left, Maryland women’s basketball’s Saturday matchup against George Mason was not going to script.
The Terps were in a one-point hole and in need of a big fourth quarter to avoid suffering their first loss in the form of a huge upset. But Kaylene Smikle answered the bell when they needed it most, notching 11 clutch fourth-quarter points.
The Terps ultimately survived a scare and woeful free throw shooting to defeat George Mason, 66-56.
Smikle led the way with 16 points and Shyanne Sellers followed her up with 15. The Terps shot 48.1% from the free throw line.
The Terps came out the gate strong defensively, allowing just three points in the game’s first six minutes. That strong defensive effort was enough to overcome some early-game sloppiness — four first quarter turnovers — as Maryland slowly built a double-digit lead.
Saylor Poffenbarger provided a spark as soon as she came in off the bench with five quick points, energizing a somewhat stagnant Maryland offense. The Terps led, 18-8, after one quarter.
The second quarter followed a similar script to the first. Maryland has gotten used to dominating its opponents on the glass this year. However, the Patriots are also a good rebounding team, which they were determined to show in the first half.
The rebounding margin through 20 minutes was within three, with George Mason grabbing 14 offensive boards. The Patriots struggled to capitalize on the offensive boards, though, as the Terps held them to around 25% from the field in the opening half.
Mir McLean had her best quarter of the year with eight points and five rebounds at the half, powering Maryland to a 38-28 halftime lead.
The second half saw things take a turn for the worse for the Terps. In fact, the third frame was Maryland’s worst of the 2024 season.
The Terps had multiple important players in foul trouble, and their execution suffered as a result. They turned it over six times, mostly from unforced offensive errors and fouls.
When Maryland had opportunities to get easy points at the charity stripe, it gave them away. Christina Dalce missed six free throws, Smikle missed four and Sellers missed two.
The Patriots, who struggled to make shots in the first half, began to find some rhythm, knocking down three triples to cut into the lead.
Maryland managed just seven points in the quarter, and it resulted in George Mason being up a single point, 45-44, heading into the final quarter.
In the final 10 minutes, Maryland steadied themselves, scoring 22 points, largely thanks to a strong Smikle effort, who began to relentlessly attack the rim.
With around five minutes left, Smikle and Dalce opened up a 10-3 run by themselves, which broke a deadlock and put the Terps up seven. They never looked back from there.
The Terps will play again Sunday against Toledo.
Three things to know
1. Harris tore up the Terps. Maryland should be glad to have escaped Saturday with a win, as George Mason guard Kennedy Harris gave the team fits throughout the afternoon. She finished with 26 points in a losing effort.
2. Dalce and Poffenbarger on the glass. As Maryland was tested by George Mason’s rebounding, Poffenbarger and Dalce came up with some huge boards, both offensively and defensively. Poffenbarger grabbed 12 rebounds and Dalce had nine.
3. Smikle’s streak ends. Despite her strong offensive effort down the stretch, foul trouble prevented Kaylene Smikle from extending her streak of 20-plus point performances. Her streak will end at five, three short of Shatori Walker-Kimbrough.