Preview: Maryland women’s basketball faces Towson, looking to continue its undefeated start

Photo courtesy of University of Maryland Athletics

For just the second time in six years, No. 11 Maryland women’s basketball has mounted a perfect 4-0 start. After two tight wins over former ACC conference foes – then-No. 11 Duke and Syracuse – the Terps return to the Xfinity Center to take on in-state rival, Towson (0-3).

But it has been by no means easy for Maryland through its first four games. 

After consecutive blowouts to open the season, the Terps have struggled late in its past two contests. 

In Maryland’s 84-73 win over Syracuse, it entered the third quarter with an 11-point lead, looking to blow the game wide open. Instead, the Terps were sloppy with the ball, turning it over 12 times in the half. 

“Too many turnovers as we came out at halftime,” head coach Brenda Frese said. “We could have put them away right there in the third quarter, so that’s an area we definitely need to improve on.”

Junior guard Kaylene Smikle has been the most consistent performer, averaging 18 points per game on 69% shooting from behind the arc. She has had three consecutive games of 20+ points. 

Last season’s leading scorer – senior guard Shyanne Sellers – is the only other double-digit player, with 10.8 points, five rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. Senior forward Allie Kubek, another returner from 2023, is fresh off a season-high 16 points against Syracuse.

Junior guard Bri McDaniel leads a very short bench rotation. She has notched consecutive double-digit performances, putting up 9.8 points per game off of 54.8 shooting from the field. 

“[Bri’s] really locked into her role, whether it’s coming off the bench, being in the game at the end,” Frese said. “She’s our best defensive stopper that understands her role on the defensive end.”

Maryland – the fifth-best offensive-rebounding team in the Big Ten – is led by a pair of transfers. 

Senior forward Christina Dalce has a team-high 8.8 boards per game, while also adding 9.8 points. Junior guard Saylor Poffenbarger is close behind with 7.5 rebounds and 7.3 points. 

The Terps have been one of the best shooting teams in the nation so far. They are 29th in the country from behind the arc, shooting an insane 41.3%. Maryland has also taken care of business from the charity stripe, knocking down 79.3%, the 31st-best mark in the nation. 

“I think we are starting to get a better presence with the inside out, drive and kick and that chemistry is starting to build,” Frese said. “We have a lot more three-point shooters on this roster and the players that are shooting the three ball well are who we brought in to do that.”

But turnovers have hindered the team all season long, especially down the stretch. 

The Terps are one of the worst teams possessing the ball, recording 17.8 turnovers per game – the fifth most in the Big Ten and 203rd in the country.

Towson, who is limping into Sunday’s match, is in the midst of its five-game road trip. After going 20-11 last season, including a run to the CAA semifinals, it has failed to build off it. 

The Tigers opened the season with back-to-back 20+ point blowout losses to No. 15 West Virginia and George Mason. Then lost in heartbreaking fashion, missing a game-winning layup in its 64-63 loss to Morgan State on Thursday..

Towson lost its top four scorers from last season, and that has been evident so far. Through its first three games, the Tigers have struggled offensively, averaging 53 points with no double-digit scorers. 

Freshman forward Khady Leye has a team-high in points (9.7) and boards (8.3) and is one of the bright spots in a rather disappointing start. 

Maryland will be looking to build off its past four games and get off to a quicker start than it did against Syracuse, where it put itself in an early 10-point deficit.

“The game really starts in warmups and how we prepare for the game,” Kubek said. “I think that we need to bring a little more energy during warmups. … That’s an issue we want to nip in the butt quickly because that’s what happened to us last year.”

Tip-off is scheduled for 11 a.m. The game will be aired on Big Ten Network.