Preview: No. 15 Maryland women’s basketball begins conference tournament play against Michigan

Photo courtesy of University of Maryland Athletics

Following Michigan’s 66-58 Big Ten Tournament second-round victory over Washington, the stage is set for No. 15 Maryland women’s basketball’s quarterfinal matchup. Just 18 days after their previous meeting, the Terps (23-6, 13-5 Big Ten) and Wolverines (21-9, 11-7) clash on Friday at 2:30 p.m.

However, Maryland enters this contest with completely different momentum. Prior to the Terps’ 85-77 win against Michigan on Feb. 17, they were fresh off a 20-point humiliating home defeat to Nebraska and had lost their past three home games. 

But now, they look more like the top-10 team from earlier this season. Maryland is riding a four-game winning streak and is fresh off its overtime-thrilling 93-90 victory over then-No. 12 Ohio State.

“I think it’s the best basketball that we’re playing, and that’s where you want to be. You want to be peaking in March,” head coach Brenda Frese said.

The Terps showed resilience after blowing a nine-point fourth-quarter advantage to hold on and force overtime. Then, despite digging itself into a five-point deficit early in the extra period, Maryland responded through its backcourt play. The trio of Shyanne Sellers, Kaylene Smikle and Sarah Te-Biasu accounted for 14 of the Terps’ 15 overtime points and 62 points total.

No shot was bigger than Te-Biasu’s with one second left. The floater from behind the arc left Ohio State stunned and sent the Xfinity Center into a frenzy, calling game on Maryland’s upset victory.

The win also increased Maryland’s chances of hosting the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Maryland is projected to be a fifth-seed, but it needs to rank among the top-16 teams to return to College Park. 

“We create our own destiny,” Sellers said. “It starts with us.”

A win over Michigan is certainly necessary if the Terps hope to better their 17-3 home record since 2011 in NCAA Tournament games. However, the Wolverines are no slouch either. 

It took nearly all 40 minutes for Maryland to hold off a relentless Michigan squad. The Wolverines sprinted out to a 30-20 lead and looked destined to hand the Terps their second straight home embarrassment. This time Maryland rallied, knocking down clutch free throws to ice the game.

Michigan’s freshman duo of Olivia Olson and Syla Swords gave the Terps difficulties all game long, though. Entering the contest, they combined for 32 points a game. Olson and Swords hit that mark in the third quarter, finishing with 45 points — 26 from Olson and 19 from Swords.

And the Terps’ struggles to contain the perimeter persisted, as the Wolverines started 7-for-13 from deep before missing all five of their three-pointers in the final quarter.

Since that game, Michigan picked up wins in two of its last three games heading into the Big Ten Tournament. The lone road game in that stretch proved the most pivotal, with a 78-69 victory over Illinois solidifying the Wolverines into the No. 5-seed.

The Wolverines’ momentum carried into the Big Ten Tournament, utilizing a 23-13 third-quarter advantage to topple Washington and advance to the quarterfinals.

Despite Michigan’s defense displaying a dominant first-half performance, it only led by one at halftime. However, a 17-point combined third-quarter outburst from Olson and Swords propelled the Wolverines to the finish line. Olson ended with 21 points on 9-for-15 shooting and added six boards. Swords scored 15 points in a team-high 37 minutes. 

While the Wolverines should be a bit tired playing on back-to-back days, Maryland isn’t fully healthy heading into its first game of the tournament. After picking up an injury in the Northwestern game, Saylor Poffenbarger’s status will be one to monitor throughout the tournament.

“We needed to secure that double bye … with the injuries that we’ve had,” Frese said. “They’re going to have to be 40-minute complete games. You take them one game at a time and to play against the best of the best. … You’ve got to come out and play your best basketball.”

The Terps’ depth will be tested again throughout March, especially if they hope to make a deep run. Thus far, Maryland’s bench has responded, producing its best stretch of games this season.

Frese sits as the winningest coach in Big Ten Tournament history, going 22-6 in such games. She will have the chance to better that record with Friday’s game against Michigan. The contest will air on Big Ten Network.