Preview: No. 21 Maryland women’s basketball prepares for final road trip of the season

Photo courtesy of the University of Maryland Athletics

No. 21 Maryland women’s basketball (20-6, 10-5 Big Ten) picked up its first win in College Park since Jan. 14, a welcoming sight for a team that is just 4-3 in Big Ten play. Now, the Terps will begin its final road trip of the season starting Thursday with a meeting against Northwestern (9-15, 2-11).

The Wildcats boast of the worst offenses in the Big Ten, scoring 67.4 points per game. Without a go-to attacking option, Northwestern has been forced to rely on its depth. 

The frontcourt play has been the lone bright spot amid these struggles. The trio of forwards Caileigh Walsh, Taylor Williams and Grace Sullivan account for just under half of the Wildcats’ points.

Walsh contributes a team-high 11.5 points and gathers 4.5 rebounds. Williams  — a transfer from Michigan — is Northwestern’s top rebounder with 9.4 a game while also adding 11.3 points on 47.3% shooting from the field. 

After spending two years at Bucknell, Sullivan has elevated her play. She is recording 10.5 points and knocking down 51.9% of her shots. 

Senior Melannie Daley is the last remaining double-digit scorer. The 5-foot-11 guard struggled in nonconference play but has performed well in Big Ten games. The senior averages 11.2 points and has recorded nine double-figure performances off the bench. 

But the Wildcats’ starting backcourt doesn’t produce the same offensive figures.

Senior guard Kyla Jones averages 9.3 points but has manufactured just one double-digit game in the past six contests. 

Sophomore guard Casey Harter is Northwestern’s best player from behind the arc, shooting a 38.9% clip but recording an average of only 7.3 points.

Despite Harter’s numbers, the Wildcats possess the lowest three-point percentage in the Big Ten at 28.7%. Their defense hasn’t fared much better, allowing 73.4 points per game, the second-most in the conference.

Northwestern will need a near-perfect game to pull off the upset against Maryland. But that won’t be easy, especially given the Terps’ road success. They have gone 8-1 away from College Park, with six coming in Big Ten play.

“If you look at our stats, we’re better on the road than at home this year,” head coach Brenda Frese said. “This team, for whatever reason, is able to take those distractions away when they go on the road.”

Maryland seemed to find its offensive rhythm in the second half of its victory over Michigan. The Terps overcame a slow start from senior guard Shyanne Sellers and a sluggish performance from junior guard Kaylene Smikle to collect a much-needed win.

As a result, graduate student guard Sarah Te-Biasu and redshirt junior guard Saylor Poffenbarger shouldered most of the scoring load. Te-Biasu shot 6-for-7 from the field and nailed both her jumpers from beyond the 3-point line in the second half. The graduate student scored 16 of her 21 points in the final 20 minutes, while Poffenbarger contributed all 12 of her points in the second and third quarters. 

Despite Sellers’ slow start, she performed well down the stretch for the Terps, notching 10 fourth-quarter points. But she did limp off the court with 25 seconds left in the game after an inbounds collision.

While forwards Christina Dalce and Mir McLean have seen their roles fluctuate throughout the season, they made huge impacts against Michigan. Dalce finished with nine points, six rebounds and two blocks, including a critical block late in the fourth quarter and two free throws on the ensuing possession to seal the win. 

McLean had one of her best games of the season, scoring nine points and grabbing five rebounds.

“I think the conference prepares your players to be in these tight games,” Frese said after the win. “That’s the beauty of what it will look like in March and the Big Ten Tournament as well as in the NCAA [Tournament]. We’re battle tested and I think that is going to be the exciting thing for all of us. To be able to lean on that experience and utilize that confidence.”