No. 13 Maryland women’s basketball cruises past Rutgers, 78-67

After already going up 6-0 early in the first quarter, Maryland forced the fourth Rutgers turnover less than three minutes in as the ball leaked out of bounds. 

The Maryland bench erupted in excitement.

It was that type of game for No. 13 Maryland women’s basketball, who took advantage of Rutgers’ sloppiness as the Terps rode their defense to a 78-67 victory.

The Scarlet Knights issues with turnovers was a sign of things to come for Rutgers, as Maryland forced 22 turnovers on the night. Coach Brenda Frese implemented a full-court press that helped force ten Rutgers turnovers in the first quarter.

Offensively, senior guard Abby Meyers paced the way in the first quarter for the Terps. The excellent three-point shooter — Meyers entered with a shooting percentage over 40% from deep — finished the quarter with ten points, including three connections from downtown.

Frese expanded the rotation in the first quarter, as freshman guard Gia Cooke checked into the game with 3:08 remaining in the quarter. If Cooke plays, she normally receives minutes in the second half.

Maryland shot 42% from the floor and 36% from deep in the first quarter, helping push the Terps’ lead out to 24-9 at the end of the opening period. Meyers led the way with 13.

Rutgers opened up the second quarter much better, as the Scarlet Knights went on a 6-0 scoring run to trim their deficit down to 13 with 6:23 left in the first half. Rutgers got within 12 with just over three minutes to play in the half, as freshman guard Kaylene Smikle led the comeback effort with 11 second quarter points.

The Scarlet Knights shot 50% from deep in the first half, which helped keep them within striking distance. Rutgers ended the half on a 7-0 run, led by Smikle’s 16 first half points.

Additionally, the Terps struggled to score in the second quarter, including a scoring drought of over two minutes to close the half. That led to Rutgers closing their deficit down to seven, 40-33, at the end of the first half.

Maryland re-asserted its dominance in the third quarter. Led by senior guard Diamond Miller, Maryland went on a 20-4 run to grow its lead back to 20 points. Miller was pristine in the third, as the star scored 10 points on 4-6 shooting. Miller had a gorgeous step through finish with her left hand for one of her baskets in the quarter, showing her unique skills at managing through contact.

The Terps have normally been led by their two stars, Miller and Meyers, but senior guard Lavender Briggs has stepped up recently off the bench. The Florida transfer was expected to play a big role this season, but was relegated to the bench after the continued emergence of sophomore guard Shayanne Sellers.

Recently Briggs has started to make more of an impact. Against Rutgers, she finished with 10 points, her fourth-straight outing with at least seven points.

“I’m just trying to play hard every game, my coaches and teammates are giving me a lot of confidence and that’s just helping me settle in,” Briggs said.

In the fourth, Maryland salted the game away, taking up time on each offensive possession, not allowing Rutgers to close the gap.

Rutgers pulled within 11 to close the game, but Maryland finished with the win. The Terps dominated from start to finish, moving to 3-1 in conference play. 

Overall, the Terps shot it well from deep, as they finished with a 40% mark from three. Maryland managed its turnovers well also, an area that has plagued the Terps thus far. This one marked the second-straight game of an assist-to-turnover ratio above 2:1 for Maryland.

Maryland will look to keep its momentum rolling next time on the floor against Michigan State in five days.