The Terps look to end their three-game skid.
After three consecutive losses to now-top 10 opponents last week, No. 14 Maryland women’s basketball heads back on the road to face an unranked opponent.
The Terps travel to face Penn State in a unique game at the smaller Rec Hall. It is only the second time Penn State women’s basketball will play at Rec Hall since 1996, when the Bryce Jordan Center opened.
The desperate Terps will head into a difficult environment at 6 p.m. Wednesday. The game will be streamed on Big Ten Plus.
Penn State Nittany Lions (10-11, 1-9 Big Ten)
2023-24 record: 22-13, 9-9 Big Ten
Head coach Carolyn Kieger is in her sixth year at Penn State. It has been a relatively disappointing season this far after Kieger put forth her best year as head coach last season. The Nittany Lions have yet to make the NCAA Tournament in her time there.
Kieger led Marquette to three straight NCAA Tournaments as head coach before taking the job at Penn State.
Penn State only has one win in Big Ten play — against then-No. 8 Ohio State. Penn State started off well, going 9-2 in nonconference play, but a poor conference record thus far puts the Nittany Lions’ postseason chances in serious jeopardy.
Players to watch
Gracie Merkle, redshirt sophomore center, 6-foot-6, No. 44 — Merkle is in her first season with Penn State after spending two season at Bellarmine. This season, she leads Penn State with 14.9 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. She also dominates the paint with a 65% shooting percentage.
Gabby Elliott, graduate student guard, 5-foot-10, No. 0 — Elliott is in her first season with Penn State as well after spending time at Michigan State and Clemson. She is Penn State’s best 3-point shooter, shooting 41.5% from deep, and averages 12 points per game. This is her most healthy season since her freshman year at Clemson, starting 20 of 21 games thus far.
Moriah Murray, redshirt sophomore guard, 5-foot-8, No. 3 — Murray is in her second season with Penn State and has started every game this season. She is third on the team in with 11.9 points per game, and also averages 2.7 assists and 2.8 rebounds this season. In Penn State’s last game against Rutgers, Murray led the team with 21 points.
Strength
Three-point shooting. Penn State ranks third among the Big Ten in 3-point percentage, shooting 35.5% from deep, only behind Nebraska and Washington. The Nittany Lions have the 35th best 3-point percentage in the nation and are a threat with both Elliott and Murray.
Weakness
Turnovers. Penn State averages 21 turnovers per game, the most in the Big Ten. Penn State averages the 14th most turnovers in the country and the most of any team in a power conference. Penn State has a 0.86 assist-to-turnover ratio, despite averaging 18 assists per game, which is tied for fourth in the Big Ten.
Three things to know
1. Difficult road environment. Wednesday’s game is Penn State’s “Return to Rec,” “White-out” and “THON” game. After three straight losses, the Terps will be desperate to win and face a difficult environment that has a history of upsets.
2. Shyanne Sellers availability. Until Sellers from her knee sprain injury, which was labeled day-to-day, the question of if she will return will keep coming up. Maryland is immensely better with Sellers in the lineup, and without her over the past two games, the Terps have struggled to compete. If Sellers plays Wednesday, the Terps could get back on track.
3. Can the Terps halt the fall. Maryland fell six spots in the Associated Press Poll this week from No. 8 to No. 14 after losses to then-No. 7 Texas, then-No. 12 Ohio State and No. 1 UCLA. After a gauntlet stretch of tough opponents, the Terps finally get a soft landing on Wednesday against a nonranked opponent.