The Terps have committed double-digit turnovers in all but one game this season.
Turnovers littered Maryland’s 73-68 victory against No. 17 Baylor on Sunday. The Terps’ first win over a ranked opponent was a dirty one, as Baylor took advantage of Maryland’s turnovers. Nineteen giveaways came on the backdrop of a 32-point game from senior guard Diamond Miller.
Some turnovers were a result of poor passes and others were committed after Baylor’s dogged defenders swiped the ball away from Maryland’s players. Four of the eight players to take the floor for Maryland had at least one turnover.
Maryland opened the game with three turnovers on its first three possessions — two of which were by Miller, which led to head coach Brenda Frese removing her senior star from the game.
“The first two minutes was a blur,” Miller said. “It just excited my mind and once I got settled in and everything, I could see the floor and the basket seemed like an ocean to be honest.”
Frese attributed the high turnover rate to “some nerves and excitement from the jump,” but added that it was a part of the process of creating chemistry.
The Terps had a 10-point lead coming out of the break, but right as the clock started ticking, Baylor exploded on an 8-0 run and moments later tied the game at 40. Maryland’s turnovers were a key reason for why the Bears stayed in the game.
By the end of the game, Baylor had converted the double-digit Maryland turnovers into 22 points, which translated to 32% of Baylor’s point total on the afternoon.
It has been a disturbing trend for the Terps this season, who have been giving the ball away at an uncharacteristic rate. Maryland turned it over 21 times in a win over Davidson, 16 against Fordham, 13 against South Carolina and nine against George Mason.
Heading into Sunday’s game, Maryland sat sixth in the Big Ten in turnovers at 14.8 per game. The Terps had committed 12 by halftime.
While it was a rugged game, Frese praised her team’s resiliency throughout the 40 minutes and, even though she was not pleased with the turnovers, she’d take them if it meant her team would be a little more scrappy.
“You have to have a resilient team to win games, so yes,” Frese said. “I mean, watching a lot of turnovers is painful when you have such a great offensive team and so many weapons.”