No. 4 seed Maryland women’s basketball falls in Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals 98-71 to Michigan

Photo courtesy of Maryland Athletics

Indianapolis, Ind. – No. 4 seed Maryland women’s basketball could not have started worse. It fell by as many as 25 in the first half as No. 5 seed Michigan shot 62.5% from behind the arc. 

The Wolverines’ trio of freshmen Olivia Olson and Syla Swords, along with senior Jordan Hobbs, all scored 20 points. The three combined for 65 total points and 10 total threes.

The result was a resounding 98-71 win for Michigan (22-9, 11-7 Big Ten), as Maryland (23-7, 13-5 Big Ten) surrendered its most points of the season on Friday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Maryland beat Michigan 85-77 in a tight contest earlier in the season. The second meeting did not produce the same results, as Michigan never trailed.

“They came out ready,” said Christina Dalce. “They came out with more energy, they capitalized everything like they were open, hitting shots, were playing together.” 

Maryland started sloppy, turning the ball over nine times in the opening quarter and shooting 23.1% from the field. The poor play resulted in a 21-0 Michigan run to close the quarter, putting Maryland down by 21 points.

Michigan guard Olivia Olson scored ten early points, knocking down two threes in the process. The freshman’s performance was emblematic of the Wolverines in the first quarter, knocking down five of eight 3-point shots. 

The second quarter started the same way, as Michigan extended its run to 25-0, extending the lead to 31-6. 

But Maryland did not give up and crawled back into the game. 

The Terps ramped up the defensive intensity, forcing seven Michigan turnovers and taking advantage of the Wolverines’ sloppy play. Maryland scored on ten consecutive possessions, including a 23-3 run to get back into the game. 

Freshman Ava Mckennie gave the Terps a spark coming off the bench, as Maryland outscored the Wolverines by 11 points in her five minutes on the floor.  

Graduate guard Sarah Te-Biasu caught fire, knocking down four threes in the second quarter, including a shot near the logo to cut the deficit to one. Te-Biasu finished as Maryland’s top scorer with 25 points.

“I felt like we couldn’t buy a bucket to start that first quarter, but I loved the response in the second quarter,” head coach Brena Frese said. “I thought we got back to playing and being who we are, getting everyone involved.” 

After a disastrous quarter, senior Jordan Hobbs knocked down a three at the buzzer, taking a 41-37 lead into halftime.  

The shot seemed to settle Michigan as it was once again proficient from the field. Hobbs knocked down her fourth three while the Wolverines shot nearly 53% from the field, expanding their lead to 69-49 by the end of the quarter. 

With only ten minutes to go, Maryland needed offense. Dalce opened the fourth with a 3-point play, while Te-Biasu scored again on a short floater. However, Michigan responded by scoring on four straight possessions to extend the lead back to 25. 

The defense continued to falter, and Maryland’s hopes of a comeback were squandered. The Terps fell by as many as 30 points in the fourth quarter. 

The Terps will now wait for Selection Sunday to see who they will play in the NCAA Tournament. The only other Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals loss came in 2022, and the Terps later advanced to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament.

“We have to make a statement because us losing by 27 to a team we beat in season is unacceptable,” Dalce said. “We need to have the mentality that nobody can compete with us, and we have to elevate forward.”