Maryland women’s basketball has masked lackluster shooting with paint presence this season

Shyanne Sellers quickly jabbed to her left and brought the ball back to her waist after picking up a pass from Riley Nelson. The junior stood at the left wing of the three-point line with time winding down in the first half. 

Sellers released the ball with mere milliseconds left on the clock and backpedaled toward her bench as she watched it fall through the basket and give Maryland women’s basketball a three-point lead.

The make was the first from beyond the arc for the Terps, and only their third attempt of the entire half. Maryland only connected twice more from deep the entire game on 11 total attempts in its 71-58 win over Northwestern on Sunday.

“We played through the posts more, I thought we found a way with shots not falling which impacted us,” coach Brenda Frese.

The Terps’ three made three pointers was their second-fewest this season. The 11 attempts tied a season low. 

Maryland ranks seventh in the Big Ten in three-point percentage at 33.5 percent — the mark would be the team’s lowest percentage since the 2010-11 season, when the Terps shot 27.6 percent. But Maryland has been able to overcome its three-point shooting woes and win games, sitting 7-3 to open its season. Even the Terps’ worst shooting performance from deep — 1-11 on three’s — resulted in a nine-point win over Green Bay. Maryland also rallied in a 83-81 victory over Syracuse after shooting 3-14 from three.

The Terps’ success in the paint has made up for many of their shooting woes. Maryland dominated Northwestern with 42 points in the paint — 18 more than the Wildcats — and out-rebounded Northwestern by nine.

Maryland avoided a loss to Syracuse in a similar fashion, recording more second chance points and points in the paint than the Orange. Against Green Bay, the Terps compiled a 57-rebound performance and out-rebounded the Phoenix by more than 20.

Maryland is one of the best rebounding teams in the Big Ten. The Terps average the second most rebounds per game, spearheaded by Sellers’ team high average of 6.3 per game. The guard finished Sunday’s game against Northwestern with a team leading eight rebounds. 

“That’s what we’re gonna have to be able to have when you’re having some nights when you aren’t able to put the ball in the basket,” Frese said. “We can give ourselves a chance with second chance opportunities as well as keeping them off the glass.”

The emergence of Allie Kubek has been a key force for Maryland’s success in controlling the paint. The redshirt junior has been a staple in the starting lineup for the past six games after missing all of last season with a torn ACL, averaging 9.3 points and five rebounds as a member of the starting unit. Kubek scored a team high 17 points against Northwestern. 

“My mindset definitely is just to play basketball,” Kubek said. “I don’t want to get too much in my head with my injury or just taking shots.”

Kubek and the Terps are set for a swift turnaround as they prepare to take on Towson, Kubek’s former team, on Tuesday.

Led by former Terp and member of Maryland’s 2006 national championship team, Laura Harper, the Tigers have opened the season with a 7-1 start. The Tigers have struggled from three to open the year, shooting 31.4 percent so far, and have been out-rebounded in four of eight games — a positive sign for the Terps.