The No. 8 Maryland Women’s basketball team is back at Xfinity to face No. 24 Minnesota. January has been a test for the ladies, from the tough loss Wednesday against No. 4 USC at home and rallying short-handed against Wisconsin. The Terps have their third game in seven days.
Maryland is currently 5-1 in Big Ten Conference play. The Terrapins are looking to build off the win on Saturday.
Nathan’s Keys to Victory!
Opponent Efficiency
Maryland has faced teams that are not efficient so far. Maryland has had an interesting schedule. They have some challenges, but at the same time, the opponent’s and their strength of schedule should be questioned. Minnesota is 16-1 to start the season but doesn’t give the whole picture. While the Gophers offensively have the fourth-best offense in the conference again, the strength of the schedule matters. Let me ask you a question…if you can outscore opponents by 25 or more points, why are you the 13th-best offense in the Big Ten shooting under 45%? Not only that but shooting under 35% from three. It will be interesting to see how Maryland will challenge on both sides of the ball depending on the lineups/matchups.
Will Maryland be 100%
Teams will have injuries, illnesses, etc., at various points in the season. Saturday’s victory was huge, but Saylor Poffenbarger (illness) and Sarah Ti-Biasu (Ankle Injury) were out. The Terps’ depth has been tested, as some other injuries are significant, but there is no timeline or update. Coach Frese stated Monday that Poffenbarger and Ti-Biasu are expected to be available against Minnesota.
The game will be on the Big Ten Network 7:30.
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