Preview: No. 16 Maryland women’s basketball prepares for conference matchup against Rutgers

No. 16 Maryland women’s basketball (11-3, 2-1 Big Ten) begins the new calendar year by taking a short road trip to Piscataway, New Jersey to take on Rutgers (6-9, 0-3 Big Ten).

Maryland takes the court after a dominant victory over Minnesota at home. The Terps crossed the century mark as 10 different Terps scored a basket.

“Our New Year’s resolution is to just keep winning,” sophomore guard Shayanne Sellers said with a smile.

Diamond Miller was the leading scorer for Maryland, as the standout senior guard finished with 22 points, including three assists. Miller’s star play has resulted in multiple help defenders being drawn, which has gotten teammates involved.

“I love the way Diamond is playing right now, she draws so many defenders that she is now understanding when to drive and kick, drive and cut, etc.,” coach Brenda Frese said.

Miller leads the conference in blocks, averaging 1.8 per game. Her defensive versatility has been key in shaping the Terps’ success on that side of the ball. Alongside Miller’s defense in the success for the Terps this season on the defensive end has been their ability to force turnovers. In its previous game against Minnesota, Maryland forced 23 turnovers, mainly off its full-court press. 

“Maryland forces you into a lot of your mistakes by putting pressure on [your team],” Minnesota coach Lindsay Whalen said.

The Terps rank third in the Big Ten in turnover margin, which has been key to many of their victories this season. In its two conference victories over Minnesota and Purdue, Maryland forced 45 turnovers.

Rutgers struggled in its last outing to remain winless in Big Ten play. The Scarlet Knights fell to Penn State in Happy Valley, surrendering 90 points in a 18-point defeat.

Guard Kaylene Smikle had a successful outing in the loss, as the dynamic young player finished with 18 points. Smikle is averaging 15.7 points per game, the team high.

Interestingly, Smikle has started only two games on the season, but has scored in double figures in 11 games. Hailing from New York, the talented freshman was the No. 11 ranked wing in her class and has given Rutgers a bright player to build around.

Smikle is blocked in the starting lineup this season in the backcourt by Rutgers’ two senior guards, Kai Carter and Awa Sidibe. Sidibe leads the team in assists, with a tick over three per game, along with pouring in an impressive 10.9 points per game. Carter averages 6.2 points per game.

Yet, Rutgers as a team lacks scoring prowess. The Scarlet Knights are last in the Big Ten in scoring, at just under 65 per game. Meanwhile, Maryland boasts one of the conference’s best offenses at 79 points a contest.

Rutgers has struggled against the top competition the Scarlet Knights have played this season, as they have failed to beat a power five conference team in seven tries.

Rutgers is at the bottom of the Big Ten in many metrics, including scoring offense and defense. However, the Scarlet Knights rank ninth in the conference in three-point percentage, averaging a 33.9% clip.

Maryland has emphasized the importance of conference games and preparation needing to be on point, especially after a blowout home loss to Nebraska that occurred early in the season. So despite facing one of the worst teams in the conference, the internal expectation remains the same.

“Moving forward in conference play, every team is a quality power five opponent; each team has great coaching, great players, so we need to be ready,” Frese said.

The game on Monday will start at 2 p.m. and will take place in the Jersey Mike’s Arena.