No. 8 Maryland women’s basketball falls 89-76 to No. 19 Ohio State

Photo by Rose Fernandes/Maryland Terrapins. Photo courtesy of Maryland Athletics.

Heading into Sunday’s contest, No. 8 Maryland Women’s basketball faced its toughest opponent in nearly two months.

No. 19 Ohio State is just the second-ranked opponent the Terps have played this season, but they did not look nearly as sharp as they did in their early-season win against Kentucky. 

Maryland held a 15-point lead at one point, but gradually watched its lead dissipate, falling 89-76 to Ohio State at the Xfinity Center in College Park.

Maryland (16-2, 4-2 Big Ten) once again made a point of putting its opponents under pressure early on both sides of the ball, pushing the pace on offense and employing a full-court press on defense that forced Ohio State’s ball handlers into mistakes early on.

The Terps’ offense was ignited early by junior guard Oluchi Okananwa and senior guard Yarden Garzon. The duo combined for the team’s first 16 points, helping the Terps take a 24-12 lead into the end of the opening quarter.

Ohio State (15-2, 5-1 Big Ten) started the second quarter strong with a 12-2 run, fueled by a switch in defensive styles. The Buckeyes began the game in their typical full-court press — a scheme that Maryland had no problem solving. After the break, they settled into a less aggressive half-court style that the Terps struggled to break down.

Despite a strong shooting half for the Terps, their offense looked one-dimensional and frantic at times. They often found themselves ball watching and counting on the individual excellence of Garzon and Okananwa to score. 

Offensive stagnation and turnover issues allowed Ohio State to cut its deficit from 15 to just two points heading into halftime.

The Buckeyes were propelled by an uncharacteristically good shooting performance. Despite coming into the matchup as the worst 3-point shooting team in the Big Ten, they went 11-for-22 from behind the arc.

“It was an uncharacteristic night,” coach Brenda Frese said. “We had no answers.”

Ohio State sisters Kennedy and Jaloni Cambridge caused problems for Maryland throughout the night, as their persistent defensive pressure and offensive chemistry powered the Buckeyes to a third-quarter lead.

“They do so much damage when you talk about on the defensive end,” Frese said about the sisters. “Their aggressiveness and athleticism are a very difficult matchup.”

Late in the quarter, in the midst of a 1-for-8 stretch from the field, the Terps found energy from a familiar spot. Garzon knocked down a three from the left wing to tie the game at 54.

But Ohio State’s 3-point shooting remained problematic for the Terps’ defense, powering the Buckeyes to a 10-0 run and giving them their largest lead of the game. 

The key problem that plagued Maryland in its loss against Illinois resurfaced again on Sunday. The Terps turned the ball over 17 times, resulting in 13 Buckeyes’ points.

“Its the unforced turnovers, in transition when we’re trying to make a decision that’s really not there, that’s been an Achilles heel for us all year,” Frese said.

Maryland’s run of five straight ranked opponents picks back up on January 15th when the Terps travel to the West Coast to take on No. 21 USC.