No. 2-seed Maryland women’s basketball dismantles No. 15-seed Holy Cross, 93-61

It was all smiles for Maryland as the team huddled for free throws at the 9:30 mark of fourth quarter, with Shyanne Sellers laughing alongside her teammates as they prepared to take home a win.

The smiles made sense for a Terps unit that took care of business on their home court, dismantling Holy Cross on both ends of the floor. 

No. 2-seed Maryland women’s basketball showed no first game jitters, cruising throughout this one without a doubt in mind as it throttled No. 15-seed Holy Cross 93-61. The win advanced the Terps to the Round of 32, where they will take on No. 7-seed Arizona on Sunday.

Blink and you would have missed the Terps’ early lead, as they wasted no time from the jump, starting on a 9-0 run in the first three minutes. The Maryland press caused problems for the Crusaders, alongside the Terps’ ability to get into the paint at will. 

The run didn’t stop there though, as the Terps extended it to 14 before Holy Cross got on the board after seven minutes of scoreless basketball. Unfortunately for the Crusaders, those points did not start any run for them with Maryland continuing to pour it on.

By the end of the first quarter, the game already looked out of hand, with the Terps leading 23-4. Holy Cross recorded 11 turnovers already at that point and no answer for anything Maryland was doing. 

“We’re always able to set the tone on the defensive end,” coach Brenda Frese said. “You just love the aggressiveness.”

Senior guard/forward Faith Masonius was the surprise leading scorer for the Terps up to that point, as her size allowed her to take defenders into work in the paint while also opening up her mid-range jumpers due to her defenders backing off to prepare for a possible drive to the rim.

The blowout only grew worse as the second quarter began. The Terps continued their field day, extending their lead to thirty (41-11) before the quarter had even reached its halfway point. 

At that point the Terps had scored 23 points off the 15 turnovers forced. This was in stark contrast to their efficiency on the offensive end, as they kept great care of the ball, only having two turnovers up to that point. 

Maryland was shooting nearly 82% from the field and 75% from three in the quarter by the second quarter media timeout at the 3:47 mark, leading 46-15. 

The Crusaders finally seemed to be hitting their stride by the end of the first half, starting to keep pace with the Terps thanks to them putting up some points. Holy Cross scored 17 in the second quarter.

Unfortunately for them, their flurry of offense still did not allow them to cut their deficit back under 30 heading into halftime, with Maryland up 52-21.

Holy Cross’ care of the ball still was an issue, as it already had a full game’s worth of turnovers at the half with 19 compared to Maryland’s three. 

Senior guard Abby Meyers led all scorers at the half with 13, while fellow senior guard Diamond Miller served as the only other player in double figures with ten. Sellers also pieced together an impressive first half statline with seven points and six assists.

The end of the second quarter seemed to bleed into the beginning of the third, with both teams starting the way it ended. The Terps continued their scoring, but the Crusaders managed to keep up throughout the quarter, keeping the deficit right where it was.

“The start of the third quarter we didn’t bring that same energy and that intensity that we did in the first half,” Meyers said. “It’s March Madness, you got to play all 40 minutes because any minute can be detrimental.”

Still, with Maryland shutting down Holy Cross’s number one offensive option in junior guard Bronagh Power-Cassidy, the game showed no signs of getting any closer.

Maryland led 72-41 at the end of the third quarter. 

It was apparent that the game was long past over at the start of the fourth quarter, and Frese got some experience for the bench as a result. 

The Terps’ bench continued to play well, with senior guard/forward Brinae Alexander padding the stat sheet with a couple extra threes. 

Alexander, who was playing her first NCAA Tournament game, headlined what was a balanced offensive day for the Terps as five finished in double figures.

“It’s a great feeling to be out here and on the floor,” Alexander said. “I think going in it’s easy to have the jitters and the nerves. Once you see the ball go in, especially for me, I think that gives me a good boost of confidence.”

The Maryland bench had smooth sailing ahead throughout the quarter, capping off the 32-point thrashing of Holy Cross with some promising performances from players outside of the rotation.

The Terps’ focus now goes to Arizona on Sunday.