The Maryland women’s basketball hardly needed more than their two seniors, guard Shatori Walker-Kimbrough and center Brionna Jones, to win its first-round NCAA Tournament game against Bucknell last weekend.
By the time Jones and Walker-Kimbrough exited the game after the third quarter, they combined to score more points (53) than Bucknell had as a team (39) in the Terps’ eventual 103-61 win.
Two days later, though, in Maryland’s second-round game against West Virginia, the team’s bench production helped it secure a spot in Saturday’s Sweet 16. As the Terps advance deeper into the tournament and their opponents improve, they expect more reserve contributions.
Maryland, the No. 3-seed, plays No. 10-seed Oregon at 11:30 a.m. in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
“We’ve talked about that depth all year,” coach Brenda Frese said, “[and] what a difference it was going to make for us, and you see it in these games.”
[Read more: Maryland is preparing for a pro-UConn crowd when it plays Oregon this weekend]
With the No. 6-seed Mountaineers leading the Terps, 16-12, after the first quarter, Frese inserted forward Stephanie Jones to start the second period. The freshman delivered about five crucial minutes.
“She singlehandedly changed the game with her presence,” Frese said. “And didn’t even have to score a point.”
West Virginia center Lanay Montgomery wreaked havoc on the Terps post players early on. She rested to start the second, but even when she returned to the game, Montgomery never regained her early-game effectiveness.
The team said Jones played a significant role in that.
“I just knew when I got in there I needed to be able to defend, rebound, do anything possible to give my team the lift it needed,” Jones said.
Jones, the younger sister of Brionna Jones, had two steals, a rebound and an assist in the second quarter. West Virginia didn’t score while she was on the floor, and Maryland turned the four-point deficit into a seven-point advantage.
“That was the best minutes, I believe, that any bench player did, with everything she did coming off the bench,” guard Ieshia Small said.
Jones’ contributions were especially valuable against a Mountaineers team that lacked depth.
“When you can throw in fresh bodies,” Frese said, “in terms of the aggressiveness and the physicality when teams get tired … it’s critical.”
Jones is part of a bench unit that has found its stride in March after its inconsistent play throughout much of the season. Several reserve players stepped up during the team’s Big Ten Tournament championship run, helping its starters stay fresh during the three-game, three-day tournament.
“Players off the bench have been amazing,” Brionna Jones said. “Getting rebounds, getting steals. Just continuing that into the next couple games, that’ll give us the spark that we need.”
A win over the Ducks sets up a possible date with No. 1 overall UConn in the Elite 8 Monday night. The Huskies, who beat Maryland, 87-81, at Xfinity Center in late December, have won 109 straight games. They’re looking for their fifth straight national title.
The Terps realize how important the reserves will be against Oregon and if they play UConn. They’ll complement their star senior duo as Frese’s team attempts to make its third Final Four in four seasons.
“Having more people be able to step up and knock down shots when they’re open is big, because we’ll just have so many more weapons on the court,” guard Kristen Confroy said. “But I think ultimately our seniors will be the ones that lead us, as they always do.”
