Preview: No. 9 Maryland women’s basketball prepares for top ten clash against No. 6 Indiana

When the AP poll released its rankings on Monday, No. 9 Maryland (13-3, 4-1 Big Ten) found itselves just inside the top ten, slotting in as the ninth ranked team in the country. Not only was it an accomplishment for the Terps, but it also guaranteed their matchup against No. 6 Indiana (14-1, 4-1 Big Ten) on Thursday would be a top ten bout.

Maryland will travel to Bloomington, Indiana to take on the Hoosiers in one of the Big Ten’s most revered arenas, Assembly Hall. The Terps have experience this season playing in other raucous road arenas, notably Notre Dame and Baylor, but players and coaches acknowledged what should be a loud environment.

“All those non-conference games have prepared us, so this is not the first time our kids are going into a non-conference environment,” coach Brenda Frese said.

In the Terps’ last outing, they overtook Michigan State in a high scoring affair, 94-85. The Spartans kept it close in the first half, knotting the score at 40 heading into halftime.

However, Maryland used a dominant third quarter to pull away, as Maryland had scoring runs of 15-0 and 23-3 in the third. Sophomore guard Shayanne Sellers continued her impressive play, notching 10 points in the quarter and 16 points in the game.

Despite the victory, Maryland continued to struggle guarding the perimeter, which has hurt the Terps in past games this season. Michigan State made 19 threes at a stunning 44% clip.

Furthermore, Indiana will be a much stiffer test in competition. The Hoosiers have started the season strong, as their only loss came to those same Michigan State Spartans, 83-78 on the road.

One area that Indiana does struggle in is three-point shooting. The Terps have struggled guarding the three ball, but Indiana does not shoot it well from beyond the arc. As a team, the Hoosiers have only shot the three at a 24% clip in conference play.

Recently, the Hoosiers’ issues from three have been exacerbated. In their last three victory’s, the Hoosiers have shot 14%, 25% and 25% on the outside, respectively.

Yet, Indiana does have individual scorers who are a threat from three-point range. Freshman guard Yarden Garzon is shooting an absurd 47% from three on the year. 

Indiana’s leader is senior forward Mackenzie Holmes. The 2021 All-Big Ten Second Team member has taken a leap in her play this year, as her 21 points per game average is a six-point increase from last season.

Additionally, Holmes averages eight rebounds per game, making her a threat on the glass as well. Her ability to draw fouls inside is why she’s the second-leading scorer in the Big Ten.

“We’re small this year, so you see the rebounding hit we have had,” Frese said. “[Holmes] is a phenomenal player and it’s going to have to be a collective effort.”

The Hoosiers’ offense is good, but their calling card is their elite defense. As the Big Ten’s leading scoring defense, the Hoosiers allow an average of just 57.7 points per game.

Opponents only shoot 37% from the field against the Hoosiers, and they force 17 turnovers per game. Indiana has good length at all five positions, as four of their starters are above 6-foot..

In Indiana’s lone loss to Michigan State, the Spartans scored 28 points off Indiana turnovers. They also forced Indiana to shoot just 3-12 from deep, perhaps giving the recipe on how to defeat the Hoosiers.

“Being able to go out and get scores is going to be really beneficial for our team,” Sellers said.

This Big Ten clash has lots of implications for both teams. For one, the winner of this game will keep pace with the leading Ohio State Buckeyes in the standings, as Maryland and Indiana are tied for second. Secondly, it will give either team a massive win for their resume come March, which could be crucial for tournament seeding.

Tip-off is set for 6:30.