No. 17 Maryland women’s basketball pulls away slightly in second half, defeats Fordham, 83-76

After No. 17 Maryland women’s basketball lost its lead in the second half, senior guard Diamond Miller caught a pass and knew it was her shot to make as the seconds ticked down in the third quarter. The Terps had been struggling and needed any bit of energy they could get from their star.

The ball left her hand and hit the bottom of the net as she let out an enthused scream as her teammates swarmed her.

Miller’s shot and the ensuing energy gave the Terps life in the fourth quarter, as they narrowly defeated Fordham in a gritty 83-76 win.

“Sometimes you got to have an ugly win,” Frese said. “We were able to keep our composure in that fourth quarter, but I think overall we know we can play better.”

Miller returned to the starting lineup with a brace on the right knee she injured almost a week prior. 

After the Terps started off strong with a 10 point lead at the end of the first quarter, during the second quarter, Maryland grew its lead to 27-13 after a 6-0 run. Fordham responded powerfully with a 14-2 run of its own, sparked behind the play of senior guard Anna DeWolfe, who finished with a game-high 24 points. The Rams had the momentum as they proceeded to go into half only down by one, 34-33.

It was a game of runs in the first half and that much didn’t change in the third quarter. The Terps started the second half strong with a 14-0 run but Fordham responded yet again with a 9-0 run of its own.

“I was just really happy with how we responded to their runs,” Fordham interim coach Candice Green said.

The last third quarter run gave the Rams the momentum to take a one point lead for a moment before Miller’s big shot entering the fourth. The shot was Miller’s only three point field goal of the game.

The Terps slowly grew their lead behind a group effort on the offensive and defensive end in the final quarter, allowing them to coast for the last couple minutes of the game.

In a game that featured 31 turnovers, Maryland used its defense in the second half to pick up the win. The score in the fourth quarter didn’t quite reflect the defensive performance, as the Terps held Fordham to four points for the first eight minutes of the quarter.

“We were able to go back to the starters [to begin the fourth],” Frese said. “We kind of woke up and looked like we actually wanted to win the game.”

Miller shined in the win with 22 points and a career-high 13 rebounds, leading powerful attacks to the basket and getting to the free throw line with ease. Miller scored 13 of her points from the line — more than the entire Fordham team. However, Miller recorded eight turnovers as she wasn’t exempt from the turnover bug that plagued both teams.

“My teammates helped me and pushed me through,” Miller said. “We all came together to get the win. That’s what matters.” 

The Terps owned the free throw line throughout the game, going 23-28 to Fordham’s 10-11 despite the fact Fordham recorded only four more fouls.

Fordham outworked Maryland on the offensive boards, pulling down 17 compared to Maryland’s 10 despite the size difference between the two teams. Still, the Terps did enough to win.

Maryland will look for another win its next time out against Davidson on Wednesday in College Park.