Maryland women’s basketball tops UMass, 92-63, to complete Cancun Challenge

Jakia Brown-Turner broke out of the team huddle and walked onto the court for the opening tipoff against Massachusetts. The graduate transfer shared a laugh with Shyanne Sellers as she assumed her spot next to the junior guard. 

Early on in Saturday’s clash with the Minutewomen, the forward exhibited the talents that made coach Brenda Frese target her in the offseason. She notched 11 points as Maryland took a commanding double-digit lead at the end of the frame. 

The Terps (4-3) used the strong first-quarter performance from Brown-Turner and didn’t look back, defeating Massachusetts (1-7), 92-63. The NC State transfer recorded a game-high 17 points, her most as a Terp. 

“My teammates and coaches have a lot of confidence in me and they just tell me to get on and … run the floor,” Brown-Turner said. 

Maryland opened with offensive firepower it did not have in the first quarter against Green Bay, scoring 23 points and leading by 11 by the end of the first frame. Maryland managed only 11 points the day before against the Phoenix, shooting 20 percent from the field. 

The Terps netted two three pointers in the quarter, already surpassing the prior day’s total of one. 

The strong offensive start continued into the second quarter, as Maryland doubled the Minutewomen’s score roughly two minutes into the period. Brinae Alexander hit her third and final three in the frame after fouling out in only ten minutes of action the day before. Alexander finished with 13 points.

Alexander joins Brown-Turner as one of four graduate captains on the Terps this season. Maryland will rely on Alexander as one of their premier shooters on the team after shooting 43.9 percent from three point range last year. 

Maryland’s defense controlled the Minutewomen offense in the first half, scoring 29 points off of 12 steals. Massachusetts recorded a season-high 27 points in the third quarter but Maryland’s lead was too insurmountable to overcome. 

“We knew we needed to play together as a team and … we just tried to give each other the ball and just get more passes and just play defense which helped us actually get out and running our transition [offense],” Brown-Turner said. 

The Terps’ freshman class recorded a season-high 57 minutes against Massachusetts. 

Maryland’s freshmen entered the Cancun Challenge averaging only 15.25 minutes per game as a group. That number ballooned to 43.6 in the Thanksgiving trip to Mexico. Nelson recorded a season-high 33 minutes the day prior against Green Bay and averaged 25.6 in Cancun.

Riley Nelson led the way with 21 total minutes while Emily Fisher added another 13, a season high. The two recorded eight points apiece. 

Center Hawa Doumbouya and guard Summer Bostock joined Fisher and recorded season-highs in playing time. Doumbouya closed with two points and four rebounds while Bostock recorded her first five points in a Maryland uniform. 

“They’re working hard and I appreciate that, but there’s still room to grow on the court,” Frese said. “Hopefully these minutes will be able to continue to be extended.” 

Maryland returns to College Park on Wednesday with a non-conference matchup against Niagara (2-3).