No. 9 Maryland women’s basketball stays unbeaten in 84-62 win over George Mason

Photo by Kevin Snyder/Maryland Terrapins. Photo courtesy of Maryland Athletics.

Maryland’s women’s basketball had been suffocating heading into Sunday’s contest, forcing an average of over 21 turnovers.

That trend continued against George Mason, inducing another 21 turnovers.

Backed by another strong defensive performance, No. 9 Maryland cruised past George Mason 84-62 at the Xfinity Center. This win extended the Terps’ winning streak to seven straight as they wrapped up their season-opening homestand. 

The Terps (7-0) struggled to create separation against the Patriots (4-2). George Mason shot well from the field in the opening quarter, converting at 80% through the midway point of the quarter. The Patriots worked deep into the shot clock on multiple occasions and found good looks at the rim.

For Maryland, their stark height advantage made a visible impact as they dominated offensive rebounds 5-1 in the first quarter. The extra possessions gave players like junior guard Oluchi Okananwa more opportunities to create shots and stay within striking distance of the lead.

Maryland’s defense began forcing more stops in the second quarter, eventually setting up a Saylor Poffenbarger buzzer-beating floater to tie the game at 36 going into the half. 

The Terps carried that momentum into the third quarter, where solid defense and a run of 8 straight made field goals gave them a lead that they would not relinquish for the rest of the game. Maryland dominated the game in transition, turning 21 George Mason turnovers into 32 points.

“I thought we locked in a little bit more aggressively to just scout tendencies,” head coach Brenda Frese said on Maryland’s defensive adjustments. “In transition [we were] able to get back and not allow them to slice the court and get a lot of the threes they were able to get early on.”

Senior guard Yarden Garzon was apparent throughout the game. At points when the Terps’ offense stalled, Garzon slowed down the pace to create shots, finishing the game with 16 points on 6-for-14 shooting from the field and Maryland’s only two 3-pointers.

One of the few areas where Maryland struggled was from beyond the 3-point line. The Terps shot just 2-for-17 from three, but dominated in the paint — tallying 48 paint points.

After missing Thursday’s contest due to injury, freshman guard Addi Mack returned to play. She started in a more limited role, but grew into the game in the second half, shining as a lead ball handler from the Terps. Her court vision and passing helped the Terps keep a comfortable lead throughout the 4th quarter. 

“Addi pushes us at a rate where they have to run with her, so that adjustment was big,” Frese said. 

Maryland will now prepare for its first road trip of the season as it travels for a matchup against No. 20 Kentucky at the Puerto Rico Shootout. The matchup against the Wildcats will be the Terps’ first against a ranked opponent.