The Terps finished the regular season without a ranked win.
Maryland women’s basketball had one last opportunity to secure a ranked win this season.
However, its aspirations fell short decisively in a 71-54 loss to No. 14 Indiana on Sunday. The result marked the first time since the 2003-04 season that Maryland failed to secure a regular-season victory against a ranked opponent.
“Indiana is a really tough matchup,” said head coach Brenda Frese. “[Mackenzie] Holmes is an All-American on the inside and they have so many shooters to be able to spread the floor.”
The Hoosiers surged ahead early, taking advantage of a lackluster start from the Terps. It took less than five minutes for the Hoosiers to go up 16-2, making their first six shots. Meanwhile, Maryland went 1-for-6 in that span.
Yarden Garzon led the charge for the Hoosiers with two early 3-pointers. Indiana made seven in the opening half.
Down 14, Maryland finally settled in. Drawing parallels to its third-quarter resurgence against Iowa, the Terps’ offense ignited and their defense pressed hard.
Maryland’s tactical shift forced Indiana into settling for contested perimeter shots, instead of exploiting opportunities inside with its standout player, Mackenzie Holmes. This adjustment proved effective as Indiana only managed to convert two of its next seven shot attempts.
The Terps orchestrated a 12-5 scoring spree, narrowing Indiana’s lead to just seven points at the end of the first frame.
But in what proved to be a game of runs, Maryland quickly found itself on the wrong end of a 12-0 surge from the Hoosiers. Despite opening the second quarter with a quick score, the Terps struggled to find a rhythm, enduring over five minutes without a point and committing five turnovers in the process.
“We’ve got to do a better job of probably, you know, attacking, to be able to get more collapses with the defense to be able to get some kick outs,” Frese said.
Indiana’s dominance extended to an 18-2 streak, fueled by Sara Scalia’s consecutive 3-pointers, capitalizing on Maryland’s defensive lapses. Twice caught off-guard, Maryland struggled to regain defensive positioning.
As the halftime buzzer approached, the Terps trailed by a daunting 15-point margin, setting the stage for a challenging second half.
Maryland’s fortunes failed to shift as the third quarter commenced. In the opening four minutes, Indiana found its rhythm, hitting 5-of-6 shots, while the Terps struggled, managing only three field goals and missing their sole 3-point attempt.
“Difficult night for us shooting…30% from the field,” said Frese.
The Hoosiers’ formidable interior defense proved pivotal, disrupting Maryland’s typically strong paint penetrators, such as Bri McDaniel and Jakia Brown-Turner. Both players faltered on layups and close-range opportunities they typically convert.
“Just making layups, I feel like that would have helped the bleeding a little bit,” said Shyanne Sellers. “I thought we left a lot of points in the paint.”
As the final quarter began, both teams were sluggish, combining for just three points in the initial two minutes. Maryland’s offensive struggles persisted throughout the last 10 minutes, with the team only managing 15 points on a dismal 3-for-15 shooting performance.
Although Maryland’s interior defense tightened, forcing five turnovers from the Hoosiers, it wasn’t sufficient to erase the substantial deficit it faced.
“It’s a new season,” said Brown-Turner. “We’re just gonna take it one game at a time.”
Three things to know
1. Indiana shot the lights out. It didn’t matter where they shot from; the Hoosiers were lights-out all afternoon. When the Terps pressured the perimeter, Holmes was always waiting in the paint. She finished with 11 points and six rebounds, but was injured midway through the third quarter and did not return.
If Holmes was tightly covered, shooting from downtown was no problem for Indiana. On the afternoon, it hit eight 3-pointers, seven of which came in the first half.
2. No Maryland player got into rhythm. After 40 minutes of play, just three Terps had scored in double-digit points. Moreover, only Faith Masonius shot over 50% from the field, but she fouled out in the fourth quarter.
Sellers also continued her stretch of less-than-dominant play, posting just 11 points on 3-for-13 shooting.
3. Looking ahead to the Big Ten Tournament. Without a marquee win and some disappointing Big Ten losses, it will certainly be interesting to see how Maryland bodes in a single-elimination setting.
“I think the biggest thing for us is forgetting everything,” Sellers said. “They don’t call it March Madness for no reason. Anything can happen.”