Heading into Thursday’s matchup with UMBC, No. 10 Maryland women’s basketball seemed primed to easily take care of business at home. However, through the first half, it couldn’t put the Retrievers away.
After starting the season looking unstoppable, the Terps displayed imperfections on Thursday. Things ultimately course-corrected in the second half, as Maryland looked more like the team it opened the season as.
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The Terps built off a massive second half to crush the Retrievers, 87-54.
The Terps started sloppily on offense despite holding a lead throughout. But their defense was strong, forcing turnovers left and right. It finished the night causing 21 of them, adding 11 steals.
“I thought we needed to settle in a little bit. You know, we had good looks, but we weren’t hitting well from the three. So just trying to get ourselves more to be a little bit more patient,” head coach Brenda Frese said.
Maryland played chippy, pressing the Retrievers defensively and not allowing much space for its offense to operate. UMBC responded with a press of its own, and Maryland struggled at times with it too — much as it did last season.
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The Terps had a comfortable lead, but had too many unforced errors. The turnover bug was still present with the team finishing the game with 19 turnovers.
Maryland’s offensive struggles in the first half weren’t as prevalent in the second half. The first half ended poorly, as Okananwa lofted an almost half-court shot with ample time remaining, allowing the Retrievers to go the other way and hit a 3-pointer. The Terps only led by 12 at halftime, and were desperate for a better performance
Maryland shot poorly Thursday, especially from beyond the arc — it went 8-of-26 from deep range. It seemed like the Terps were forcing bad shots at times, playing too passively and passing up good looks for worse ones later in the shot clock.
“It felt like we would shoot it when we shouldn’t, and then we would pass it up when we should. It’s just our decision-making,” Frese said.
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The Terps started the second half with an 11-point run, and a strong third quarter gave them the needed insurance to run away with the win. The Terps built a 17-point scoring margin in the frame, partly fueled by its 5-of-8 performance from 3-point range.
Maryland didn’t need to keep the foot on the gas in the fourth and extended its bench, cruising to victory.
The Terps could’ve pulled away further from UMBC, only winning by 33 — their struggles played a key role in exposing some flaws.
Saylor Poffenbarger has been Maryland’s best shooter to start the season after struggling from beyond the arc last season. She made three of her four 3-point attempts, and is now 6-of-7 from deep on the season through two games.
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“Just working on consistency, also just not making it bigger than it is,” Poffenbarger said. “Coming in and doing what I do best, playing rebounding, passing, playing defense … stepping into my shot with confidence.”
Lea Bartelme also impressed, especially with her ball movement. Her speed and basketball IQ were very notable, racking up seven assists on the night.
Three things to know
1. Injury scares. Maryland had multiple injury scares on Thursday, as both Oluchi Okananwa and Mir McLean went down. Okananwa returned after a stint on the bench, but McLean did not, holding her arm as she left the court. Frese said that McLean’s injury was a shoulder injury and she will be evaluated.
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2. Rotation switches. Maryland consistently tried out new lineups Thursday. The Terps have a substantial amount of depth lower in their rotation, and once again used the game as an opportunity to show them off. 12 players saw the court for Maryland and all scored.
3. Ozzy-Momodu was solid. Isimenme Ozzy-Momodu has become a true presence for the Terps inside after sitting out last season with an injury. She has a similar playstyle to former Terp Christina Dalce — a needed paint presence that can dominate inside. The biggest question heading into the season was who was going to be Maryland’s big. Ozzy-Momodu has stepped up through two games with 15 points, shooting 7-of-8 on Thursday.
