No. 16 Maryland women’s basketball drops fourth straight in 68-61 loss to Oregon

Photo by Grayson Belanger/Maryland Terrapins. Photo courtesy of Maryland Athletics.

No. 16 Maryland women’s basketball found itself in a familiar position on Saturday night.

The Terps led by multiple possessions for the second consecutive game heading into the second half, but the outcome remained the same.

Maryland struggled to score in the fourth quarter, while Oregon used a 17-4 run to beat the Terps 68-61 at the Xfinity Center in College Park. The defeat is Maryland’s fourth consecutive Big Ten loss.

Junior guard Oluchi Okananwa set the tone for Maryland (17-6, 5-6 Big Ten) right from the tip, taking on the team’s primary ball-handling duties and scoring the team’s first nine points.

While the Terps started strong, the remainder of the quarter turned into a defensive stalemate. Both teams struggled to find an offensive rhythm, shooting a combined 29%. Maryland ended the period on a 1-for-13 shooting slump after starting the quarter netting four of its first five shots.

But the Terps regained their offensive form in the following quarter by relying primarily on Okananwa. The Duke transfer thrived in the second quarter, leading a 14-0 scoring run that included a second-half buzzer beater to give Maryland a 36-30 lead at the break. Okananwa finished the quarter with 14 of Maryland’s 23 points.

“I was just reading the defense, reading what they were giving me,” Okananwa said. “I have my spots that I know I want to get to; they were open, so I was getting to them.”

Exiting halftime, Oregon (17-7, 5-6 Big Ten) made a clear effort to slow the game down and tried to keep the ball out of Okananwa’s hands. The strategy was effective in guarding Okananwa as the Ducks limited her to just four points on four second-half shots.

Maryland responded to this change by utilising point guard Addi Mack. The freshman attacked the baseline and finished the game with 17 points, marking the fourth time in the past five games she has eclipsed double-digit figures.

But in the fourth quarter, Maryland’s offense struggled.

“Oregon in the second half just came out with fresher legs,” head coach Brenda Frese said.

The Terps notched just two baskets in nearly eight minutes of game time, giving the Ducks an opportunity to take the lead. Oregon did just that as junior guard Sofia Bell knocked down three straight 3-pointers in the midst of a 17-4 run, putting the Terps down by seven with 2:39 remaining.

“I don’t think we were aggressive enough,” Frese said when asked about their defensive lapse. “One breakdown and teams are gonna make you pay.”

Maryland cut its deficit to four with 1:09 left in the game when Mack stepped up and sprinted down the court, but the Terps mustered just two more points afterward.

The Terps will now prepare for their fourth ranked opponent in the past five games when they travel to East Lansing, Mich., on Wednesday to play No. 13 Michigan State.