In a battle of undefeateds No. 10 Maryland outlasts George Mason 66-56

Photo courtesy of Allison Mize/Maryland Terrapins

In a battle of two unbeaten teams, No. 10 Maryland women’s basketball (7-0) sought to hand George Mason its first loss of the season. And the Terps did exactly that, beating the Patriots (6-1) 66-56 Saturday night in the Navy Classic, but not without some struggles. 

The Terps opened up a 10-point advantage at the half and looked destined to coast to another victory. Instead, Maryland was sloppy in the second half. The Terps finished the contest with 19 turnovers, 14 missed free throws and 25 offensive rebounds allowed. 

These uncharacteristic mistakes put Maryland in a slight deficit heading into the fourth quarter. But the Terps certainly answered the bell, closing it out with much cleaner play.

“We knew that they were going to bring the intensity for 40 minutes,” head coach Brenda Frese said. “I thought they really made us pay for our mistakes, anytime we gambled defensively. They did a tremendous job on the glass offensively.”

From the get-go, Maryland’s three-point shooting was on full display. The Terps entered the game as the second-best team in the nation from behind the arc and that continued. 

After a missed jumper from Kaylene Smikle, Sarah Te-Biasu got the offensive board. She kicked the ball out to a wide-open Shyanne Sellers who knocked the shot down from three, pushing Maryland out to a 7-3 lead. 

On the ensuing possession, Maryland took a bad pass the other way, leading to a quick bucket for Smikle. The Terps kept the pressure on, as George Mason had its fifth turnover through just five minutes. And Christina Dalce capitalized, finishing off a layup.

Saylor Poffenbarger splashed a three-point jumper to move the score to 16-3. The Patriots snapped their six-minute scoring drought with a shot from downtown. But Poffenbarger had an answer, getting an offensive rebound and scoring an easy layup.

Maryland held an 18-8 advantage after the first quarter, a lead that it would continue to build on. 

Guard Jada Brown got going for George Mason early in the second period, with three quick points. The Patriots looked primed to get back in the contest.

Instead, the Terps knocked down two shots in a matter of 17 seconds, a second-chance layup from Smikle and a three-pointer from Poffenbarger. Back-to-back jumpers from Sellers and Mir McLean pushed Maryland out to its biggest lead of the game, 29-14.

Poffenbarger was the first player in double-figures, as she nailed a bucket in transition. But George Mason closed out the second period on an 8-4 run. Six points from guard Kennedy Harris led the charge and helped the Patriots head into halftime down 10.

George Mason rode its momentum into the second half, as guard Paula Suarez splashed a three-pointer. The Patriots continued to dominate on the glass, scoring its first 10 points of the quarter off of second-chance opportunities. 

Guard Kennedy Harris cut the Terps’ lead to three after she knocked the shot down. And forward Louis Volker kept the foot on the gas pedal with an easy layup.

Just four minutes later, George Mason took its first lead of the contest. Harris nailed the jumper from the top of key, pushing the Patriots in front, 43-41. 

Sellers responded with a bucket to close out the third quarter as the Terps trailed 45-44 entering the final 10 minutes of action.

“I think we had a lot of lapses, the two five-second calls in the paint that really hurt some possessions,” Frese said. “I thought they were the tougher team in the third quarter.”

Right out of the break, Smikle gave Maryland the advantage back with a fast break layup. But George Mason wouldn’t go away, as both squads traded buckets. In three minutes, the lead changed four times.

With the score knotted at 51 apiece, Sellers handed the Terps a lead that it wouldn’t relinquish. Dalce followed that up with a layup, giving Maryland a four-point advantage.

Then, Smikle took over. The junior guard  — who saw her five-game streak of 20+ points snapped — scored the next five, including an and-one layup. Maryland held a 60-53 lead with two minutes left in the contest.

Sellers extended the Terps’ lead to eight with a bucket, before they iced the game at the free-throw line.

“This game prepares us for conference play, when you’re the hunted and teams are coming after you,” Frese said. “A lot of lessons that we’re going to be able to learn from this game, but we’re glad to walk away with a win.”

While Maryland scored a season-low, the bench play was pivotal, as it contributed 20 points. Poffenbarger had her first double-double as a Terp, recording 10 points and 12 boards. McLean had eight points, her second-most of the season.

Maryland now looks ahead to its game Sunday at 3:30 p.m. against Toledo.