No. 23 Maryland women’s basketball uses three-point shooting to surge past No. 6 UConn, 85-78

Brinae Alexander and Abby Meyers committed to Maryland in the offseason, and have been impactful pieces in the early stages of the season. 

Today was no different.

With 3:22 left in a four-point game, Alexander caught the ball on the left wing. Alexander fired a shot that swished through the net, raising her arms into the air as she took in the Xfinity Center cheers.

“I feel honored to play in games with the fans being the sixth man,” Alexander said. “The win feels great, especially because it was something I’ve never done before.”

Alexander finished with 13 points and Meyers finished with 20, as the play of the Terps’ transfers helped propel No. 20 Maryland women’s basketball to an 85-78 win over No. 6 UConn.

The storyline that emerged before tip-off was the injury bug. Three UConn starters missed the game due to injury, along with other absences on the roster, which left coach Geno Auremma with only seven scholarship players against the Terps.

“No other team is facing the challenges that we are facing right now,” junior forward Aaliyah Edwards said.

The injuries did not take any energy out of the building, as the Xfinity Center crowd was raucous. UConn started the game with three turnovers, a notable change from its normal offense. 

Maryland and UConn then traded threes with their best shooters, as senior guard Lou Lopez Senechal nailed a three with 6:40 to go in the first quarter, and Alexander responded with a three of her own.

Edwards was the story of the first quarter for the Huskies, as she scored 10 first quarter points on 5-7 shooting. In a competitive first quarter, the Terps found themselves down 19-15.

Opening up the second quarter, Lopez Senechal picked up her third foul, which left her on the bench for the rest of the half.

“The game really changed when Lou picked up her third, that quarter was the big difference,” Auriemma said.

A Shayanne Sellers three with 5:50 to go in the quarter regained the lead for the Terps, and they didn’t let up for the rest of the half. Meyers drilled a corner three on the next possession, giving Maryland a 27-23 lead as Xfinity Center erupted.

The senior guard scored ten straight points for the Terps, and finished the first half with 18.

The Terps erupted from beyond the arc in the second quarter, as an Elisa Pinzan three made it 40-34 with one minute remaining. Maryland shot 6-10 from three in the second, including a ridiculous 5-6 shooting performance from Meyers.

“She really elevated us as we took their punch early on,” coach Brenda Frese said.

In an action-packed first half, Maryland led 43-36 at the break.

After a Sellers layup put Maryland up 54-43 with 6:04 in the third quarter, the Huskies responded. A pair of Lopez Senecha free throws brought UConn within four midway through the quarter, and the Huskies trimmed their deficit by as much as two not too long after. 

The Huskies dominated the paint, as they outscored the Terps 34-12 in paint points at the end of the third quarter.

However, a big three from senior guard Lavender Briggs kept the Huskies at bay, and the Terps went into the fourth quarter up 62-58.

UConn scored on two straight possessions to start the fourth, tying the game at 62.

Then, Sellers connected on a late shot clock three to give Maryland a five-point advantage.

However, the Huskies cut Maryland’s lead down to four with 30 seconds to go. Senior guard Diamond Miller, who was 0-4 from three until that point, found herself wide open behind the arc.

Her high looping three pointer kissed the net, and Xfinity Center exploded, essentially clinching the win for Maryland.

“I would’ve left myself wide open the way I was shooting it,” Miller said laughing. “It was just making sure I shot it with confidence.”

Two free throws by Miller sealed the deal, giving Maryland its first ever win in program history over UConn, 85-78.

“This is my first time playing UConn and I wanted it all,” Miller said.

On the day, Maryland shot 40% from three, including numerous clutch shots from beyond the arc.

UConn controlled the paint, but 22 turnovers plagued the Huskies. Meanwhile, Maryland turned the ball over a season-low five times.

“We are undersized, so we have got to be able to do it in different ways defensively, which we did,” Frese said.