The Terps look for a second straight win.
After a disappointing loss to Nebraska, Maryland women’s basketball bounced back Wednesday, defeating Minnesota, 72-64.
Despite a fourth-quarter push by the Golden Gophers, Maryland held on to secure its first road win of the season.
Now, head coach Brenda Frese’s squad welcomes Purdue in what will be the Terps’ third game in seven days.
The matchup is set for 4:30 p.m. Saturday and will be shown on Big Ten Network.
Purdue Boilermakers (9-5, 2-1 Big Ten)
2022-23 record: 19-11, 9-8 Big Ten
After a rough five-year stretch, head coach Katie Gearlds has rebuilt the Boilermakers into a winning program, with last season’s NCAA Tournament appearance being a major step in the right direction.
The Boilermakers are currently riding a three-game winning streak.
Players to know
Abbey Ellis, fifth year guard, 5-foot-6, No. 23 — In her final year with Purdue, Ellis has been the team’s top scoring option. She is averaging a team-high 14.6 points and 1.6 steals per game.
Jeanae Terry, fifth year guard, 5-foot-11, No. 10 — She may not score in bunches, but Terry is one of the best all-around players in the Big Ten. Selected to the All-Big Ten second team and all-defensive team last season, Terry holds the program record for most career triple-doubles. This season, she is averaging 7.5 rebounds per game and ranks third in the Big Ten with 5.9 assists per game.
Madison Layden, senior guard, 6-foot-1, No. 33 – Layden is averaging 11.5 points per game on 49.3 percent shooting from three this year, which leads the conference and ranks seventh in Division I.
Strength
Free-throw shooting. Purdue has the third-highest free-throw percentage in the Big Ten at 76.3 percent. Maryland ranks fourth at 76.1 percent.
Weakness
Getting shots to fall. The obvious shortcoming for Purdue this season has been is its lack of consistent shooting. The Boilermakers are tied for the second-worst field goal percentage in the Big Ten with a clip of 42.6 percent.
Three things to watch
1. Will Lavender Briggs start? Since coming back from injury on New Year’s Eve, Briggs has scored a combined 38 points in two games off the bench. Against Minnesota, Briggs played seven more minutes than starting guard Bri McDaniel. Frese hasn’t been afraid to shake up the starting lineup this season, and could do so again Saturday.
2. Has Frese finally settled on a rotation? With injuries having previously dictated her lineup decisions of recent, Briggs’ return seems to have finally settled the rotation. The nine-woman rotation has been the same in each of the last two games.
3. Can Maryland remain undefeated in College Park? Maryland is 7-0 at home, but will its perfect record survive Big Ten competition?