Maryland women’s basketball wins defensive battle over Illinois, 69-53

Maryland women’s basketball entered Sunday’s matchup with Illinois looking to secure its first win streak since December. 

The Terps did just that. Double-doubles from Allie Kubek, Shyanne Sellers and Jakia Brown-Turner led Maryland in a defensive battle, lifting the Terps over the Illini, 69-53. Sellers finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds, Kubek scored 13 points and grabbed 10 boards and Brown-Turner notched 11 points with 10 rebounds. 

Kubek kept the Terps (14-10, 6-7 Big Ten) ahead with her work on the boards in the first half despite the turnover issues. The redshirt junior corralled four of Maryland’s seven offensive rebounds in the first half and recorded six points. The Illini (11-12, 5-8 Big Ten) struggled to stop the Terps under the basket as they scored twenty points in the paint in the first half. 

“She was confident, she was strong, she was tough,” coach Brenda Frese said. “Both from an offensive and from a physicality and defensive rebounding [standpoint], it was exactly what we need to have out of Allie.”

Kubek had six points by the end of the first half on efficient three for four shooting despite coming off the bench.  She then scored seven more points in the third quarter to boost Maryland to seven-point lead at the end of the frame, corralling two more rebounds as well. 

But it wasn’t all perfect for Kubek, who contributed three of Maryland’s 13 first-half turnovers. The Terps recorded six in the first quarter and another seven in the second. The Illini capitalized with seven points off those first-half turnovers. 

“That’s an area that we can definitely improve but luckily being [favored] on the glass was big,” Frese.

The Terps exited the first quarter ahead by five after Illinois struggled to generate offense. The Illini didn’t score a field goal for the final 5:32 of the frame, and made only four of 19 attempts in the quarter. 

Both teams went cold in the second quarter. Maryland shot only five for 11 in the frame to hold onto a five-point lead, while Illinois shot only five for 16.

Illinois’ Camille Hobby scored eight of her team’s 12 points in the second period to keep her team in the game. Hobby closed the game with 16 and matched the Terps’ trio of double-doubles with 11 rebounds herself. 

But the Illini left points on the board in the first half, missing 10 of their 16 layups. They missed 11 more in the second half. 

“I felt like we were just communicating really well and walling up on defense. We were very active and moving together,” Brown-Turner said.

Sellers scored 14 of points in the second half — 11 in the fourth quarter — as Maryland built off its halftime lead and controlled the game. The Terps inched their lead ahead to seven by the end of the third and eventually grew their lead to double digits for the final four minutes of the game. 

Maryland will look to extend its win streak to three games for the first time since December when it faces Penn State next on Sunday.