• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Baltimore Sports Today

Baltimore Sports News Continuously Updated

  • Football
    • Ravens
    • Redskins
  • Baseball
    • Nationals
    • Orioles
  • Basketball
    • Mystics
    • Wizzards
  • Capitals
  • Soccer
    • Blast
    • D.C. United
    • Spirit
  • Colleges
    • George Mason
    • George Washington University
    • Georgetown
    • Howard
    • Johns Hopkins
    • Morgan State
    • Towson
    • University of Maryland

Takeaways from No. 18 Maryland women’s basketball’s win over Coppin State

November 8, 2024 by Testudo Times

Photo courtesy of Maryland Athletics

The Terps improved to 2-0 in their home opener.

No. 18 Maryland women’s basketball got just two days of rest between its season opener and its second nonconference matchup Coppin State.

The Terps blew the game open in the second quarter and didn’t look back winning 70-47 to improve to 2-0.

Here are three takeaways from the victory.

Kaylene Smikle has arrived

After a relatively quiet season opener, Kaylene Smikle made her presence felt in Maryland’s second game.

She got hot out of the gate, making two early 3-pointers, and didn’t look back. She finished with 20 points to go along with three rebounds and two steals.

“Just coming out and hitting threes and my teammates were finding me, just made it easier to get going,” Smikle said.

Smikle showcased her offensive bag and scored on all three levels, knocking down four 3-pointers and shooting 7 for 12 overall.

Smikle’s performance should solidify her place in the starting lineup over other options like Bri McDaniel and Mir McLean.

“She’s a big-time player, she’s a scorer. I love that she shot the ball with confidence,” Maryland head coach Brenda Frese said. “She was aggressive, making the right reads.”

Smikle was the leading scorer for conference foe Rutgers the last two years.

Transition continues to be key

Through the first two games, Maryland’s ability to push the pace has been a massive asset.

Against Coppin State, they forced 17 turnovers that led to 18 points. Ten of the turnovers were steals, with freshman Ava McKennie leading the way with three.

“[The transition game] gives us a lot of opportunities,” guard Sarah Te-Biasu said, “and then just finding my teammates for open threes or inside.”

The Terps acquired a lot of length in the transfer portal, which makes them a difficult puzzle to solve defensively. In the second quarter, Coppin State managed just four points and Maryland turned them over repeatedly.

“We were disruptive, we made them uncomfortable, we changed the pace of play,” Frese said.

As the Terps prepare for tougher competition, their ability to turn teams over and get easy layups in transition could be invaluable.

Transfers took the reins

Thursday night’s win showed Maryland’s “big three” returners of Allie Kubek, Shyanne Sellers and McDaniel can have a quiet night and the Terps can still produce with the game on their transfer’s shoulders.

Smikle and Te-Biasu scored 20 and 12 points, respectively. McLean added seven points and Poffenbarger and DeBerry had six point each. Altogether, transfers totaled 55 of Maryland’s 70 points.

“That’s what we expected them to do,” Frese said. “They’ve got that experience under their belt. They’ve shown that in their previous history.”

The transfers also led the way in a much better shooting day from beyond the arc than Maryland had in its opener. Te-Biasu, Poffenbarger and Smikle were responsible for all 10 of Maryland’s made threes.

“We were talking in the locker room like, ‘We’re going to have to adjust on how they guard us,’” Poffenbarger said. “We had to prove ourselves beyond the arc.”

Filed Under: University of Maryland

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • Bongino and Bondi clash over handling of Jeffrey Epstein case
  • David Gergen, adviser to four presidents, has died
  • Trump expresses ‘anguish of our entire nation’ after touring Texas flood devastation
  • For the Nationals, a fundamental failure in loss to the Cardinals
  • PAY TO PLAY? College Sports Commission Clarifies ‘Valid Business Purpose’ for NIL Deals

Categories

  • Baseball
    • Nationals
    • Orioles
  • Basketball
    • Mystics
    • Wizzards
  • Capitals
  • Colleges
    • George Mason
    • George Washington University
    • Georgetown
    • Howard
    • Morgan State
    • Navy
    • Towson
    • University of Maryland
  • Football
    • Ravens
    • Redskins
  • Soccer
    • Blast
    • D.C. United
    • Spirit
  • Uncategorized

Archives

Our Partners

All Sports

  • 247 Sports
  • Bleacher Report
  • CBS Baltimore
  • Forgotten 5
  • NBC Sports Washington
  • Maryland Sports Blog
  • OurSports Central
  • PressBoxOnline.com
  • The Baltimore Sun
  • The Baltimore Wire
  • The Sports Daily
  • The Sports Fan Journal
  • The Spun
  • USA Today
  • Washington Post
  • Washington Times

Baseball

  • MLB.com - Orioles
  • MLB.com - Nationals
  • Baltimore Baseball
  • Birds Watcher
  • Camden Chat
  • District On Deck
  • Federal Baseball
  • Last Word On Baseball - Nationals
  • Last Word On Baseball - Orioles
  • MLB Trade Rumors - Nationals
  • MLB Trade Rumors - Orioles
  • Nationals Arm Race
  • Orioles Hangout

Basketball

  • NBA.com
  • WNBA.com
  • Amico Hoops
  • Bullets Forever
  • High Post Hoops
  • Hoops Hype
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Last Word On Pro Basketball
  • Pro Basketball Talk
  • Real GM
  • Wiz Of Awes

Football

  • Baltimore Ravens
  • Washington Redskins
  • Baltimore Beatdown
  • Baltimore Gridiron Report
  • Ebony Bird
  • Hogs Haven
  • Last Word On Pro Football - Washington Commanders
  • Last Word On Pro Football - Baltimore Ravens
  • NFL Trade Rumors - Ravens
  • NFL Trade Rumors - Redskins
  • Our Turf Football - Ravens
  • Our Turf Football - Redskins
  • Pro Football Rumors - Ravens
  • Pro Football Rumors - Redskins
  • Pro Football Talk - Redskins
  • Pro Football Talk - Ravens
  • Redskins Gab
  • Ravens Wire
  • Redskins Wire
  • Riggos Rag
  • Total Ravens

Hockey

  • Washington Capitals
  • Elite Prospects
  • Japers Rink
  • Last Word On Hockey
  • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Talk
  • Stars And Sticks
  • The Hockey Writers

Soccer

  • Baltimore Blast
  • Black And Red United
  • Last Word on Soccer - DC United
  • Last Word on Soccer - Spirit
  • MLS Multiplex

College

  • Big East Coast Bias
  • Busting Brackets
  • Casual Hoya
  • College Football News
  • College Sports Madness
  • Fourth Estate
  • GW Hatchet
  • Saturday Blitz
  • The Diamondback
  • The Hilltop
  • The Hoya
  • Testudo Times
  • Zags Blog

Copyright © 2025 · Magazine Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in