After a 14-point defeat against Connecticut in last season’s NCAA Sweet 16, the Terrapins women’s basketball team had to wait only seven-and-a-half months to get another shot at the defending national champions.

This time, the Terps hosted the Huskies before an announced 15,327 at Comcast Center, and they had a fully healthy roster in search of their first win in three tries against UConn.

Despite the different circumstances Friday night, an early run in the second half lifted the Huskies to a similar result in a 72-55 win.

“I thought we played really well for about the first 24, 25 minutes of the game,” coach Brenda Frese said. “UConn does what they do. They make runs at you. They don’t make mistakes.”

With UConn (4-0) leading 43-38 at the break, the Terps (2-1) scored the first five points of the second half. Guard Katie Rutan hit a three to tie it at 43, but then the Huskies took control. They went on a 17-4 run over about seven minutes to blow the game open.

The Huskies capped the run with a four-point swing over seven seconds. Guard Brianna Banks scored on a layup, and guard Moriah Jefferson swiped the ball from forward Alyssa Thomas on the inbounds pass. Jefferson glided into the paint for another basket, causing Frese to call a timeout in an attempt to regroup.

“We went on ours, and they happened to go on theirs right after, which gave them a little bit bigger of a lead [than] we would’ve hoped,” Rutan said. “But they’re a great team and they knew how to execute, and we were just trying to come back.”

Though Thomas, who has struggled in past games against UConn, had 20 points and 14 rebounds, the Terps couldn’t mount enough offense to close the deficit. The Huskies won the rebound battle, 41-39, helping them seal the victory.

UConn was without star forward Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, an Associated Press preseason All-American, who suffered a nerve contusion in her elbow against Stanford last Monday. Forward Morgan Tuck, who underwent arthroscopic knee surgery Tuesday, was also missing from the lineup, shortening the Huskies rotation.

The Terps made use of their larger roster from the outset, playing 11 players in the first seven minutes of the game. The Huskies sported a smaller rotation, switching between seven players in the first half.

The Terps settled for jump shots at the start of the game, and Thomas hit her first three shots for seven points to give the Terps the early lead. The team was showing they could hang with the Huskies, and when Thomas hit her third straight jumper to make it 7-5, she flashed her signature smile as she jogged back on defense.

“I think last year, both games I was just extra amped up,” Thomas said. “This year, I just had to find a happy medium where I can come out and just play my game.”

Thomas’ confidence continued throughout the half. She had a double-double, scoring 14 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.

The Huskies, however, responded with some early offense of their own. UConn forward Breanna Stewart shot 7-of-9 from the field, including 3-of-3 from beyond the arc, to score 19 points in the first half.

Whenever the momentum seemed to be shifting the Terps’ way, the Huskies’ lanky wing answered by draining threes, bringing a raucous College Park crowd to a hush. Stewart finished the game with seven rebounds and a game-high 26 points.

“We had no answer for Stewart,” Frese said. “Obviously disappointed with that.”

UConn had only six turnovers in the game, giving the Terps few opportunities to mount runs to regain momentum. The Huskies encountered foul trouble, however, in the first four minutes of the second half.

Centers Stefanie Dolson and Kiah Stokes picked up their fourth and third fouls, respectively, during the span, but the pair largely remained in the game and helped UConn outmuscle the Terps on the boards.

“We were trying to really have an attack mentality to be able to get them in foul trouble,” Frese said. “In the first half, I though our post play was a lot more aggressive. … I thought we got less aggressive in the second half.”

The stage was set for the Terps to pick up a statement win against an elite UConn team. But even with a shorthanded roster, the Huskies again proved why they are the top-ranked team in the nation.

Though the environment surrounding the the two teams was different, the game ended with a similar result.

“Missed opportunity for us,” Frese said. “But they’re the defending national champions for a reason.”