This season, the Maryland women’s basketball team’s mantra has been to provide its two seniors, guard Shatori Walker-Kimbrough and center Brionna Jones, with an appropriate ending to their storied careers.

But in the Terps’ first-round NCAA tournament game against Bucknell on Friday, the seniors themselves ensured they would play at least one more game in a Terps uniform.

Walker-Kimbrough and Jones dominated from the start in Xfinity Center, scoring No. 3-seed Maryland’s first 22 points and 48 of its first 58. Those contributions, combined with the team’s suffocating defense, helped the Terps open an early lead in their 103-61 first-round victory. Jones finished with a double-double of 25 points and 10 rebounds, while Walker-Kimbrough notched a game-high 28 points.

“Those two just completely took over,” Bucknell coach Aaron Roussell said, “and we didn’t have a real answer, to be honest with you.”

Maryland will host the winner of No. 6-seed West Virginia and No. 11-seed seed Elon in the second round Sunday.

The No. 14-seed Bison were tied with the Terps about four minutes into first quarter. But Jones and Walker-Kimbrough responded with three layups in less than a minute, sparking a 17-3 run that lasted into the second period and put Maryland in control.

“That’s what you need your seniors to do,” Maryland coach Brenda Frese said. “They set the tone from the tip.”

Many of Walker-Kimbrough’s scores came in transition, a product of the Terps wreaking defensive havoc. Bucknell had the same number of turnovers (20) as field goals Friday. At one point, Walker-Kimbrough stole the ball in the backcourt even though the Terps weren’t in their press defense.

Frese said the team’s defensive play helped it “lock in” on offense to complement easy buckets on the fastbreak.

When the Bison did manage a shot, it rarely swished. Bucknell shot 37 percent and no Bison player had more than five points or two field goals in the first half. The Terps led, 45-22, at the break.

Maryland, meanwhile, was more efficient on offense than they have been all season, setting a season-low with five turnovers. Maryland shot a blistering 70.8 percent after halftime.

“It’s just a team that’s going to roll out of bed and score 90,” Roussell said.

Walker-Kimbrough and Jones combined to shoot 65.7 percent, helping the team set the Terps program record for points in a single NCAA tournament game. After jumpstarting the Terps’ offense at the beginning of the game, their prowess continued in the second half.

Walker-Kimbrough went 5-for-5 after halftime, burying a pair of 3-pointers and scoring 12 third-quarter points while playing nine minutes, while Jones had six points in six minutes.

“You could see they were in their own zone,” guard Kaila Charles said. “It’s like, different tournament, different them. They just clicked.”

Maryland led by at least 20 for the entire third period, and at least 30 for the entire fourth. Jones and Walker-Kimbrough enjoyed that final period from the bench, resting along with their fellow starters as the Terps’ reserves put the finishing touches on the postseason blowout.

The seniors had done their job, securing a victory and one last home game in their college careers.

“I’ve really felt their presence here,” Frese said. “They don’t want it to end. You can feel that.”