INDIANAPOLIS — Before the Maryland women’s basketball team took the floor for Sunday’s Big Ten tournament championship game, coach Brenda Frese told her players to “go earn what you deserve.”
The No. 2-seed Terps did, but the No. 5-seed Purdue Boilermakers forced them to work for a third consecutive conference tournament title. Purdue made several runs throughout the game to keep the contest close, but Maryland won, 74-64, and led by double digits for the entire fourth quarter.
“Nothing was ever given,” Frese said after the win. “None of these, all three [games], have been easy.”
After each of Maryland’s first two games of the tournament, the opposing coaches remarked the Terps had an answer for every run their team mustered. At times Sunday, though, it appeared Purdue was the team responding to Maryland’s leads.
The Boilermakers went on a 7-0 run late in the first quarter, scored six unanswered to close the first half and added an 8-0 spurt late in the final period to cut into significant Maryland gaps.
Maryland center Brionna Jones, however, helped negate the threat. She went 8-for-8 for 18 points in the second half, totaling a game-high 27 points and 12 rebounds for the 22nd double-double of her senior season. Jones was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player after averaging 24.3 points and 11.3 rebounds over Maryland’s three games.
Guards Shatori Walker-Kimbrough and Destiny Slocum joined the senior on the All-Tournament team.
“She missed, like, eight shots in three days,” Walker-Kimbrough said of Jones, who shot 29-for-38 in the tournament. “It’s just unheard of. She was unbelievable.”
Despite Jones’ dominance, Purdue pushed the Terps multiple times.
A first-quarter run put Frese’s squad in an early hole and gave the Boilermakers momentum after their defense forced Jones to travel. An 11-2 stretch midway through the second period propelled the Boilermakers ahead by one point.
And having cut Maryland’s lead to 11 late in the game, the Boilermakers had several chances to threaten the outcome as the minutes wound down, a nod to Purdue coach Sharon Versyp’s belief her team played “toe-to-toe” with the Terps.
Maryland, though, responded to Purdue’s resiliency. Slocum drained consecutive 3-pointers to end the first quarter and give Maryland its lead back. After Purdue’s 11-2 run in the second period, Maryland scored 11 straight points with buckets from forward Stephanie Jones, guard Kristen Confroy and Walker-Kimbrough.
“We just continued to feed the hot hand,” Frese said.
“When you look at the stat sheet,” Versyp added, “they made shots we didn’t.”
Purdue struggled to make shots in the third quarter. The Boilermakers scored just 11 points in the period as Jones touted nine points, matching her first-half production.
“Our seniors led the way,” Frese said, “set the tone like they have all season long.”
Maryland’s 51-38 lead late in the third quarter drew a timeout from Purdue, and a 67-48 advantage early in the fourth forced another.
Purdue, despite leading scorer Ashley Morrissette playing with a left ankle injury she suffered in the third quarter, had another run left in it, scoring eight consecutive points to come within 11. Its shooting went cold from there, however, missing its final six looks.
So, Maryland celebrated with its third Big Ten Tournament trophy as confetti and streamers fell to the court. The team cut the nets at both end of the floor and took pictures with family, friends and supporters, some holding up three fingers to represent its three-peat.
“They’re all indescribable,” Frese said of her team’s tournament title wins. “What it means to be able to continue to take these championships home and represent Maryland.”
“We’ve been using that mindset since [my] sophomore year, just take it one game at a time and see how that unfolds,” Walker-Kimbrough added. “It’s a great mindset, and I say this confidently: I don’t think Maryland’s done now.”
