Here’s what to know about Sunday’s game.
Maryland women’s basketball’s four-game win streak came to an end Sunday, as its second-half comeback attempt against No. 2 Ohio State fell short. The Terps lost, 79-66.
Here are three takeaways from the contest.
The Buckeyes started fast
Primarily, Ohio State’s ability to establish an early lead, which Maryland struggled to overcome, determined the outcome of the contest.
But how did the Buckeyes achieve this?
Initially, both teams implemented full-court presses, albeit with differing degrees of effectiveness. Despite Maryland’s efforts, it couldn’t effectively trap Ohio State in either the full- or half-court due to the Buckeyes’ excellent floor spacing.
Ohio State’s quick ball movement disrupted Maryland’s zone defense, allowing the Buckeyes to penetrate and create open shots. Maryland’s defenders attempted to scramble and recover, often leaving shooters unguarded. This resulted in Ohio State shooting an impressive 4-for-8 from beyond the arc in the first 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, Maryland shot a mere 6-for-15 in the first quarter to go along with five turnovers. Ohio State’s defensive approach was far more fruitful, often getting a hand in passing lanes and covering ground more quickly than the visiting Terps.
Often not being able to get into a good flow, the Terps shot just two threes in the frame and sank just one.
At the end of the first quarter, Maryland was down by eight points. By halftime, that deficit had expanded to 13 points.
“We can’t have no-shows anymore. We can’t have players in foul trouble in the first half,” said Maryland head coach Brenda Frese. “We have a very small margin for error where we [have] to be really consistent as a team.”
Shyanne Sellers is in a slump
Sellers has scored over 20 points just once in her last 11 outings. Against the Buckeyes, she notched just seven points, her second lowest total in a game this season.
Against Ohio State, she got into foul trouble early, being taken out near the end of the first quarter after committing two fouls. Yet, she still saw the court for 27 minutes and averages over 30 for the season. So a lack of playing time isn’t necessarily the issue.
Rather, it’s most likely a combination of a simple shooting slump, lack of aggressiveness and the ascension of Bri McDaniel. In fact, since McDaniel started truly taking her sophomore leap, Sellers has been seeing less and less of the ball handling abilities in the half court. While her playmaking numbers have been good, the usage has gone down.
The Terps obviously don’t expect Sellers to shoot 2-for-10 from the field every game. However, she should consistently be Maryland’s top point-getter, given her natural ability. Recently, that role has come from McDaniel or Jakia Brown-Turner. Even Brinae Alexander pitched in 16 points against the Buckeyes.
A fully-functional Sellers does wonders for the performance of this Maryland team and takes the onus off of some role players.
“Shy [Sellers] has to be, you know, better for us,” Frese said. “She’s gotta be on the court. She can’t play 28 minutes.”
The Terps had multiple scoring droughts
Every time it seemed as though Maryland was going to contest the Buckeyes’ lead, it had a sudden slump in scoring. In total, the Terps had three scoring droughts of at least three minutes.
The fourth quarter featured the most untimely scoreless stretch, as the Terps went 1-for-7 from the field over a period of 3:09 to finish the game. What’s worse: Ohio State had a similarly bad stretch, embarking on a two-and-a-half minute scoring of its own to end the game.
Had Maryland been able to capitalize at these crucial junctures, the result could have been different. But a lack of consistency on offense has too often killed momentum. Going from 8-for-16 from the field in the third frame to 4-for-13 from the field and 1-for-4 from three in the fourth quarter is a significant drop-off.
The Terps have absolutely shown the ability to compete with the best teams in the country, and it was highlighted once more Sunday. Again, the question becomes — can they do it for all 40 minutes?