Maryland women’s basketball entered the fourth quarter against Georgetown with its back against the wall, staring down the possibility of a massive early-season upset.
Instead, the Xfinity Center bore witness to Addi Mack’s breakout afternoon. The freshman guard took over in the fourth quarter, scoring 17 points in the frame and sparking a Maryland double-digit comeback victory. The Terps took down the Hoyas 85-66, improving to 3-0.
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Mack led all scorers with 21 points, while Lea Bartelme, Oluchi Okananwa and Isimenme Ozzy-Momodu also all finished in double digits.
It didn’t always look like Georgetown could win the game. Maryland was in a flow state to begin the action, moving the ball seamlessly through Georgetown’s offense, finding easy layups and an open Yarden Garzon 3-pointer.
The Terps were especially effective in transition, where Saylor Poffenbarger tossed a perfectly-led dime to Mack for a layup. Mack was the Terps’ best source of offense in the first quarter, putting up six points and continuing to look fearless in her first few games of college basketball.
Georgetown needed to swing momentum, so it went to the full-court press. From that point, the quarter turned ugly for the Terps in a familiar way. Maryland got sped up, resulting in nine first quarter turnovers and Georgetown getting right back in the game.
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The Hoyas got out of their early nine point hole, cutting the lead all the way down to 16-13 at the end of the first quarter — most of their points came at the free throw line.
Things got worse for the Terps in the second quarter. They cut down turnovers in their own backcourt but still had no rhythm offensively. The absence of a lead guard began to feel much more apparent, as they searched for somebody to steady the ship offensively.
When the Terps did create clear looks, they couldn’t capitalize. At the same time, Marya Boiko and Ozzy-Momodu couldn’t convert on some shots around the rim.
Meanwhile, Georgetown’s offense began to expand beyond the free throw line. Dynamic guard Khadee Hession hit a trio of three-pointers in the quarter, helping the Hoyas take their first lead, which they held all the way to halftime.
Maryland went into the locker room on its heels, down 38-31.
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Things didn’t improve out of the break. Georgetown had found its offensive groove and was able to maintain it early in the second half. It found success playing inside, creating physical advantages in the paint, while Hession stayed hot from three.
The Terps found momentary momentum down seven points. Marya Boiko had the ball in the low post and kicked it out to Bartelme, who splashed a 3-pointer to cut the Hoyas’ lead to four.
That feeling quickly slipped away when the Hoyas answered with back-to-back threes from Summer Davis and Khia Miller. This caused Frese to call for a timeout with Maryland down 10.
Once again, Bartelme was Maryland’s lifeline to end the third quarter, as she blew by her defender and finished an and-one layup through contact to cut the lead to six heading into the final 10 minutes.
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If Bartelme kept the Terps alive, Mack came in early in the fourth quarter and gave them an electric shock. The freshman single-handedly snatched Maryland’s lead back with seven straight points, fearlessly getting downhill. Mack capped her run off with an and-one, sending Xfinity Center into a frenzy.
The Terps also tightened the screws defensively, blitzing ballhandlers and forcing turnovers or rushed shots. Poffenbarger struggled from the field, but as always, she was dominant on the glass.
With Georgetown down three and desperately needing a basket, Brianna Scott pulled up for a three and clanked it off the front of the rim. The long rebound looked like it was going to the Hoyas, but Poffenbarger secured it and ran out on the break. She found Okananwa, who nailed a three-pointer.
From there Maryland never looked back. Mack continued to pour it in, with the Terps eventually coasting to an almost 20-point win.
Three things to know
1. Maryland struggled from deep. While Maryland struggled, one major issue was its inability to convert any open looks from beyond the arc. Maryland finished 5-of-21 on 3-pointers, with Garzon and Poffenbarger combining to go 2-of-11.
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2. Terps dominated the Hoyas on the glass. Maryland outrebounded Georgetown 45-27, while doubling it, 22-11, on the offensive glass alone. Maryland turned that advantage into 15 second-chance points, a couple of which were crucial during its comeback effort. Poffenbarger led the way with 12 boards, while Garzon had eight.
3. Rotation began to look more clear. While it’s still early in the season, it was clear that Mack was Maryland’s best option in crunch time. Rainey Welson and Kyndal Walker struggled to find their footing in limited minutes, and sophomore Ava McKennie logged just one minute late in the first half.
