The Maryland women’s basketball team unfurled last year’s Big Ten title banner prior to its season opener against UMass Lowell on Sunday afternoon, a representation of all the Terps were able to accomplish a season ago.

But the banner also served as a reminder of a promising season that ended too early. The Terps, who earned one of the No. 2 seeds in the NCAA tournament, fell to Washington in the second round. For a program accustomed to postseason success, it was an unwelcome sight.

“My eyes went right to the second round [on the banner],” guard Shatori-Walker Kimbrough said. “That’s definitely some motivation for this year. I remember how I felt after that game, and that’s something I don’t want our freshmen or the rest of our team to feel this year.”

“In our locker room, we have bigger goals in terms of how we want to finish this season,” coach Brenda Frese echoed.

The quest to complete those aspirations got off to a smooth start, as the Terps cruised to a 100-44 home victory over UMass Lowell. The contest marked the third consecutive regular season opener in which Maryland reached the 100-point threshold.

Freshman guard Destiny Slocum led the team with 15 points, but five Terps scored in double figures.

In a fitting ode to the team’s returning stars, Frese called on Walker-Kimbrough and fellow senior Brionna Jones on Maryland’s first two possessions. Walker-Kimbrough canned a midrange jumper and then dished it to Jones on a pick-and-roll on the second trip down the court for an easy bucket inside.

“It’s important [to set the tone early],” Walker-Kimbrough said. “I thought we were really patient. …That’s what we did very well throughout the course of the game.”

Maryland jumped out to a 34-5 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Terps’ torrid offensive pace slowed some the rest of the game, but the club’s suffocating defense kept the contest well out of reach.

“We were really aggressive early defensively; able to use our speed and size,” Frese said. “I thought at times, the freshman class showed some nerves, but they showed that they belong.”

Slocum played with what she called “too much excitement” in her first official college basketball game. As the game progressed, she said she felt more comfortable.

“We were running our offense well,” Slocum said, “so the good shots were just flowing.”

They forced 34 turnovers, and the River Hawks struggled to get the ball across the timeline. Once they did, there was little time to get into their sets because of the 30-second shot clock.

The Terps also dominated in the paint and held a 52-30 advantage on the glass. Freshman guard Kaila Charles led the way with 10 boards.

Maryland will host Maryland Eastern Shore on Wednesday night, a game the Terps won, 106-30, last season.

“We have to able to sustain that whole Maryland basketball theme of defense, rebounding and running,” Walker-Kimbrough said.