The Terps look to avenge one of their conference losses.
In the new world of the Big Ten, Maryland women’s basketball only gets one repeat opponent. In 2025, that opponent is one of the best teams in the conference: Ohio State.
The Terps will back in Xfinity Center Sunday to close out their regular season, with serious postseason implications on the line. Sunday’s game will begin at 4:30 p.m. and air on FS1.
What happened last time
Maryland entered its first matchup with Ohio State in a crisis. It was just two games after Bri McDaniel went down for the season and fresh off Shyanne Sellers’ initial knee injury.
In spite of this, the Terps got out to a hot start, utilizing their strength and advantages down low in Christina Dalce and Allie Kubek on the glass.
It was one of Dalce’s most impressive nights of the season, as she totaled 18 rebounds.
Maryland’s lead was 10 after the first quarter in a game where it was a substantial underdog.
The second quarter was less smooth for the Terps. However, Ohio State continued to struggle offensively, which allowed Maryland to take a seven-point lead into the halftime locker room.
The second half was much worse.
The game was the beginning of what has become a troubling trend for Maryland, as it allowed itself to be sped up and turned over by Ohio State’s full court press. This began the Buckeyes’ comeback.
Additionally, Cotie McMahon, one of Ohio State’s best weapons, began to attack Maryland aggressively.
The comeback swung the game all the way into a double-digit lead for Ohio State. Maryland looked too shorthanded to put together a full four-quarter performance.
The Terps tried to battle back late through Saylor Poffenbarger, but it was too little too late. However, head coach Brenda Frese saw the silver lining of the loss.
“Really proud of this group for the mentality they brought from the tip after a really tough game about 72 hours ago,” Frese said. “This was a game about pride, and I think you saw that from both teams.”
What’s happened since
With Sellers in and out of the lineup with her knee injury, and recently losing Poffenbarger to an ankle injury, Maryland has fought through the back half of its conference schedule.
It suffered a couple more tough losses after Ohio State — notably a senior night heartbreaker to Illinois and a shocking blowout loss to Nebraska on its home floor.
It hasn’t been all bad though. The Terps are 5-0 on the road since the loss to Ohio State, which became their only road loss of the season.
They also picked up a gritty win against Michigan at Xfinity Center, sending them into the season finale with a 12-5 Big Ten record.
The Buckeyes have also had an up-and-down stretch after what was a resume building victory over the Terps.
The win over Maryland transformed into a three game winning streak. Then they embarked on a nightmare West Coast road trip against UCLA and USC, where the Buckeyes lost both.
Since those two losses, they are 4-1. Their only loss came as an upset to Indiana on the road.
Still, the Buckeyes have been able to do enough to lock themselves into a double-bye for the conference tournament. They are currently on the edge of potentially hosting the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. A second win over Maryland would be huge for their resume.
Three things to watch
1. Bracketology. Maryland is in a simple position. If it wins, it secures itself a double-bye for the Big Ten Tournament, which means they wouldn’t have to play until Friday as the No. 4-seed. If they lose, they would be relying on Illinois to lose to Michigan on its home floor. The Terps can not pass Ohio State in the standings.
2. Poffenbarger’s availability. There has been no long term designation for Poffenbarger’s injury except that she’s “day-to-day”. It feels unlikely that she will return Sunday afternoon after being in a walking boot this week, but getting its versatile wing back would be huge for the Terps’ hopes of ending their season with a victory.
3. Can Terps avoid the sweep? Maryland and Ohio State have been at the apex of Big Ten women’s hoops for around a decade, and not getting swept by the Buckeyes will serve as massive motivation for the Terps. Including the loss early this season, Maryland has lost three of its last four against Ohio State.