Home Sports Shorthanded Maryland holds off Indiana

Shorthanded Maryland holds off Indiana


The lead was 4 when she got here again (sporting a distinct quantity), and the house crowd got here to life along with her return. And whereas her offensive output was muted the remainder of the way in which, she delivered essential rebounds and a steal to assist No. 13 Maryland to a 67-64 win over No. 10 Indiana.

The win within the common season finale left Maryland at 21-7 and 13-4 within the Big Ten. The Terps are not any worse than the No. 4 seed in subsequent week’s convention event and will end as excessive as No. 2. Either means, they earned a double-bye.

“This team is battle-tested,” mentioned Frese, whose common rotation was brief junior guard Ashley Owusu, who missed the sport with an sickness. “They didn’t even flinch when the game was close there. They’ve been through all these kind of matchups, and right now they’re one of the best teams in the country.”

Indiana (20-6, 11-5) trimmed the Maryland result in one after a three-pointer by Hoosiers guard Nicole Cardano-Hillary with 34.4 seconds remaining, however a floater by guard Katie Benzan prolonged the result in three. Indiana had a last-second three-point try by Cardano-Hillary, however Reese’s protection affected the shot, and it landed brief.

Reese completed with 20 factors and 16 rebounds, guard Diamond Miller scored 16 and Shyanne Sellers added 12 as Maryland shot 43.8 p.c from the sector whereas holding Indiana to 41 p.c.

Early on, Maryland’s suffocating protection changed into instantaneous offense because the Terrapins held Indiana to simply 25 p.c (4-for-16) capturing within the first quarter. The Terrapins closed the quarter on a 13-6 run.

Reese didn’t produce the efficiency she had hoped for in her earlier contest towards Michigan — she performed 14 minutes due to foul hassle and scored simply six factors earlier than fouling out. But on Friday, Maryland’s main scorer received again into her rhythm.

“Coming from the last game, I didn’t have the best game,” Reese mentioned. “I think I kind of didn’t do the best for my team, and I just want to do the best for my team today and control what I can control.”

Reese scored 13 factors within the first half and continued to thrive within the second earlier than exiting briefly with the damage.

“Credit to her, she played great tonight,” Indiana ahead Mackenzie Holmes mentioned. “She just outplayed us tonight, outplayed me tonight. She’s just an extremely skilled, athletic player.”

The sport was a taut defensive battle within the fourth quarter, however Reese’s return stabilized the Terps. Maryland sits as a No. 3 seed within the Big Ten event and will transfer to No. 2 if Ohio State loses its finale to Michigan State.

Here’s what else to learn about Maryland’s victory:

Owusu was absent from Friday’s sport with an sickness, one sport after she returned to motion following an ankle damage.

Owusu scored two factors in 21 minutes off the bench within the staff’s 71-59 loss at No. 6 Michigan on Sunday as she labored her means again to full pace. Frese mentioned after Sunday’s sport that Owusu was nonetheless enjoying by way of some ache however hoped that she would be capable to get her timing and rhythm again for the Big Ten event.

The all-Big Ten guard missed Maryland’s earlier 4 video games earlier than Sunday’s contest towards Michigan after she suffered an ankle damage towards Michigan State, however the staff was nonetheless undefeated with out her.

Maryland entered Friday with the league’s greatest turnover differential. The Hoosiers had been tied with the Terrapins for the fewest turnovers per sport within the Big Ten (12.9).

Maryland’s protection set the tone early, forcing 5 turnovers within the opening 5 minutes of the sport because it jumped out to an early lead. Indiana completed with 14 turnovers for the sport, together with a vital late-game mistake that gave the Terrapins the ball again with a four-point lead with 1:38 left.

“We wanted to set the tone early, punch first,” Frese mentioned. ” I definitely thought the mentality that we were able to display early was a big factor for us.”

The Terrapins buried seven of 15 three-pointers. Benzan, who entered third in the Big Ten with a 43.6 percent three-point percentage, made two of three. Sellers also hit two of three.

Graduate ahead Chloe Bibby and Miller every added one within the first half as Maryland went 6 for 8 from behind the arc to construct its lead as Maryland sought to unfold the ground.



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