Preview: No. 8 Maryland seeks first top-10 win against No. 7 Texas

Photo courtesy of University of Maryland Athletics

No. 8 Maryland women’s basketball (16-1) is in the midst of one of the hardest stretches in the country, as it finds itself in the middle of a slate where six of its seven contests come against programs ranked in the AP poll. And that continues on Monday in the Coretta Scott King Classic with another top-10 foe: No. 7 Texas (17-2).

Under head coach Vic Schaefer, the Longhorns have reached new heights. Schaefer has guided Texas to a 109-32 record through his first four years at the helm. Last season, the Longhorns recorded its highest win total (33) since 1985-86 and made a run to the Elite Eight.

Texas has been just as good this year. The team has faced five ranked teams, picking up wins over then-No. 12 West Virginia, then-No. 9 Oklahoma and then-No. 18 Alabama. Its lone losses this season have come against No. 3 Notre Dame and No. 2 South Carolina.

The offense has been the catalyst behind this success, as it sports the sixth-best scoring and the 13th-most efficient attack in the nation with 87.4 points per game and 48% shooting.

The Longhorns have used a balanced approach without a defined top option, which has worked well. 

After a stellar freshman campaign, where she became the only freshman all-time to win Big 12 Player of the Year, forward Madison Booker has remained the leading scorer. The No. 12-ranked recruit in the class of 2023 according to ESPN is averaging 15.2 points and collecting six boards a game. 

Behind her is a trio of double-digit scorers. Senior forward Taylor Jones has had a solid season thus far, scoring 11.2 points per game on 63.6% shooting from the field. She also gathers 6.4 boards and 1.7 blocks.

Senior guard Rori Harmon has taken a step back scoring, instead setting up her teammates. She boasts a team-high 6.1 assists and 2.5 steals while still producing 10.7 points a game. 

6-foot-6 junior forward Kyla Oldacre leads the second-highest bench-scoring unit in the country. She puts up 10.1 points and a team-best 7.2 boards, making 62% of her shots. Freshman forward Justice Carlton notches 8.2 points off the bench as well.  

Seniors Aaliyah Moore and Shay Holle are the remaining starters, scoring 7.8 and 6.5 points. Rounding out the 9-man rotation is a pair of freshman guards — Jordan Lee and Bryanna Preston — who both average right around six points. 

Texas also possesses an elite defense, holding teams to 55.7 points and garnering 5.2 blocks per game, good for the 24th and 17th-best marks in the nation. But the Longhorns’ strength on that end of the court is their scrappiness, forcing the eighth-most turnovers in the country (24.7). 

The only potential weakness this season for Texas has been its three-point shooting, only knocking down 30.77% of its shots from behind the arc. But the Longhorns don’t chuck up many three-pointers.

And that will certainly be the case against a battle-tested Terps’ squad. 

Maryland has rolled through its schedule, the lone hiccup coming at the hands of No. 4 USC. After playing a relatively weak nonconference slate, the Terps have faced a gauntlet to start Big Ten play. The team has been up to the challenge, racking up three ranked victories in the process. 

The Terps have found ways to win, using their arsenal of weapons to their advantage. But the play of Shyanne Sellers has certainly helped. She has taken her game to a new level, putting up 22.6 points over the past five contests. 

Kaylene Smikle — Maryland’s usual leading scorer — has been inconsistent recently. Against USC and No. 24 Minnesota, she combined for six first-half points. However, when the Terps needed production in the latter 20 minutes of gameplay, Smikle answered the bell. 

Between Christina Dalce and Allie Kubek, the Terps have kept a strong paint presence. After Dalce recorded two points during a three-game stretch, she followed it with back-to-back 15-point performances. And when Dalce has struggled, Kubek has filled the void down low. 

Coming off four straight double-digit games to enter conference play, Saylor Poffenbarger is in a shooting slump. However, her prolific rebounding has remained, collecting a season-high 17 rebounds in the USC game.

Despite the attacking scuffles at times, Maryland’s defense has picked up. Outside of the high-scoring affair against Minnesota, the Terps have been much better on that end of the court. 

But with the potential absence of Bri McDaniel — the defensive anchor —  the rest of the team will need to pick up the slack. McDaniel picked up a knee injury in the first quarter of Maryland’s last game, and her status is unknown heading into Monday.

Despite this, the Terps will be looking to add to their resume with their first top-10 victory of the season. 

The contest is at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. Tip-off is at 5:30 p.m. and will air on FOX.