The Terps ended their regular season on a losing note.
Maryland women’s basketball struggled at No. 14 Indiana in a 71-54 defeat on Sunday, marking the conclusion of the Terps’ regular season.
Here are some takeaways from the game.
Maryland gave the Hoosiers too much space
Maryland came out with a zone defense, which Indiana quickly exploited, getting out to an early 16-2 advantage.
Guards Yarden Garzon and Sara Scalia took advantage of the space on the perimeter, combining for seven 3-pointers in the first half. Many of their 11 combined attempts were open, with the Terps late to rotate.
“I feel like we didn’t disrupt as much as we needed to to make them feel uncomfortable,” Terps guard Shyanne Sellers said.
While Maryland made good adjustments in the final 20 minutes, holding the Hoosiers to 1-of-9 shooting from three and 39 total points, it was in vain because of its own poor shooting performance.
The Terps made nine of 32 shots in the half and finished the game 3-of-16 from three.
McDaniel had a rough outing
Guard Bri McDaniel has been a star for Maryland all season long. In the Terps’ four most recent games against ranked teams prior to Sunday, she had averaged over 18 points per contest.
In the final game of the regular season, though, the sophomore struggled. She couldn’t get good looks the first half, missing all eight of her attempts, which forced Frese to put her on the bench.
In the first half, McDaniel struggled with shot selection. She went a dismal 0-for-8 from the field through the first two quarters, and spent a lengthy amount of time on the bench after picking up two first-half fouls.
McDaniel finished with 13 points on 4-for-19 shooting, adding four rebounds and two assists.
The Terps didn’t beat a ranked opponents all season
It’s been a struggle for Maryland against ranked opponents this season. The Terps played South Carolina and UConn within their first three games, which set the tone for a difficult schedule.
Maryland lost its first three games against ranked opponents by 20 points or more. And in the loaded Big Ten, there was no reprieve when conference play arrived.
Whether it was playing Iowa or matching up with Ohio State twice, Maryland couldn’t effectively match up with the nation’s top teams. Sunday’s loss to the Hoosiers brought Maryland’s record against ranked opponents this season to 0-8.
The Terps came into this season having been ranked for practically a decade straight, but this season’s performances against title contenders provided a reminder of the limitations of this year’s squad.