After a tough, two-point win at Xavier last weekend, the Terrapin women’s basketball team knew it needed to make a statement at home. With two weaker opponents on the slate, the No. 19 Terps wanted to come out strong, hoping to prove they deserved their highest ranking in 11 years.
They did Tuesday, cruising to a 49-point win over St. Bonaventure. On Sunday, the Terps (6-1) host Monmouth and are looking for their third 40-point win in four games.
“We’ve really talked about making a convincing statement,” Frese said. “They see some of their deficiencies and really work on it and want to get better.”
The Terps’ win over St. Bonaventure was their largest since 1999, when they beat Brown 98-47. Their 81 shots were also the most since 2002.
Frese’s team looks much more confident than it did during the early part of last season. They fought close with No. 1 LSU before losing down the stretch and their win over Xavier and All-American forward Tara Boothe was also impressive.
“Our confidence is definitely high coming off a tough road win,” sophomore guard Kalika France said. “Last year, we probably wouldn’t have pulled that off.”
Monmouth (4-3) is led by 5-foot-9 junior guard Niamh Dwyer, who averages 18.3 points per game. Should the Terp defense shut her down, like they did St. Bonaventure’s top scorer, then the Hawks will have to rely on their other scorers, only one of whom averages more than 10 points per game.
The Hawks fare well on the glass, averaging 41.7 rebounds per game. But turnovers are a problem at more than 20 per game. That could be an issue against the tough Terp defense, which pressed St. Bonaventure into 15 first-half turnovers. The Bonnies only scored 17 points before halftime.
