As Terrapins women’s basketball guard Kristen Confroy set up for a mid-range jumper in the third quarter of Wednesday’s game against Michigan, center Brionna Jones sprinted toward that end of the court.
So when Confroy’s shot clanked off the rim, Jones was in perfect position. The 6-foot-3 junior snatched the one-handed rebound with Wolverines center Hallie Thome draped over her, prompting the referee to call a foul as Jones fell to the hardwood.
While Jones lifted herself off the floor at Xfinity Center, a One Direction song played from the PA system. The words “Nobody can drag me down” blared through the arena.
And in the Terps’ 20-point win, that phrase proved an apt description of Jones’ mindset against an undersized Wolverines lineup.
Jones filled the stat sheet, scoring a game-high 20 points, grabbing eight boards and blocking two shots in 27 minutes. With guard Shatori Walker-Kimbrough producing her lowest scoring output of the year, it was the Terps’ other member of the Wooden Award Late Season Top 20 list who helped her team overcome an uncharacteristic opening 10 minutes and earn the victory. She’ll hope that momentum carries over to Sunday’s contest at Rutgers (16-10, 7-7).
“Brionna Jones just wore us down down the stretch like she did the first time and really showed why she’s one of the best players in the country,” Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico said.
The Havre de Grace native had a 13-point, seven-rebound performance in the Terps’ win over the Wolverines on Jan. 14, though she scored one basket in the first half of the teams’ first meeting.
Jones scored just four first-quarter points, but she was the team’s most productive player in an abysmal opening frame. The Terps (24-3, 13-2 Big Ten). committed eight turnovers over the first 10 minutes and made only four of their 14 shots from the field, so Jones’ ability to score in close helped her team stay within five at the end of the period.
The preseason All-Big Ten honoree added four more points before intermission, while guards Kiara Leslie and Brene Moseley joined in on the scoring production for a Terps team that received one first-half basket from Walker-Kimbrough, who entered the game averaging 19.7 points per game.
“I didn’t think she was ready to play tonight,” coach Brenda Frese said. “I know Shatori will bounce back from it, but we’ve got to continue to be as consistent as we can as a team right now.”
While Walker-Kimbrough remained somewhat quiet — she finished with nine points on 3-for-8 shooting — Jones became more effective after the break. She finished with six points and five boards in the third quarter, helping the Terps turn a one-point deficit into a comfortable lead entering the fourth quarter.
“They were doubling and triple-teaming at the beginning and I had to kick it out, and they would find me on the cut again,” Jones said. “We just worked together, and they fed me the ball when I was open.”
Despite playing with three fouls, Jones found success at the charity stripe in the final frame after not attempting a free throw entering the period. The bruising post presence, who shoots 63 percent from the line, made four of her six foul shots to help the Terps extend their lead.
Her performance aided the Terps’ domination inside, as they scored 40 points in the paint compared to 24 for Michigan. Center Malina Howard insisted that was a point of emphasis after the Wolverines beat them by eight points in the category the last meeting.
Howard contributed to the onslaught inside, scoring six points, but it was Jones who gave the Terps a reliable scoring option throughout the night.
“We’re still young and inexperienced where Brionna Jones is just warming up against us in the third and fourth quarter,” Barnes Arico said. “Our kids are getting exhausted in the third and fourth quarter from going against her in the first and second quarter.”
