Maryland women’s basketball guard Blair Watson has a knack for sparking runs, especially with big shots from long range. Against George Washington on Friday, she did it in style.
With the game lacking scoring early on, tied at 2-2 after three minutes, Watson orchestrated her own 8-0 run to give the Terps a comfortable lead. Her effort helped Maryland finish the first quarter ahead 22-10.
The sophomore finished with 19 points, shooting 5-for-11 from three to pace the Terps in an 80-54 rout of the Colonials at Xfinity Center.
“Our post and everybody screening for me, getting me wide open shots really helped get my offense going,” Watson said. “I’ve got to give credit to them because without their screens, I’m not getting open and I’m not getting shots.”
In the first-quarter sequence, Watson knocked down a wide open 3-pointer, stole the ball on the ensuing possession for a fast-break layup, then forced a George Washington timeout with another triple, all within the span of 43 seconds.
Forward Stephanie Jones said the team gives Watson confidence by just telling her to keep shooting the ball.
“I know when she’s on, that motivates us and that gets us ready for the game and hyped,” Jones said. “Just seeing her being able to hit those shots is not only great for her but also great for our team.”
While Watson carried the Terps (9-2) on the offensive end, the team put in a well-rounded defensive performance.
Maryland made George Washington (3-7) work for its shots, forcing one shot clock violation and several contested shots as the 30 seconds neared its end. At one point, coach Brenda Frese was jumping up and down on the sideline as the Terps nearly forced a violation, ecstatic with their defensive pressure.
“This was a game that I was really, really pleased with our defense,” Frese said. “It was, by far, one of our most complete games for 40 minutes defensively.”
Guard Ieshia Small showed an example of the team’s effort without the ball midway through the second quarter. After a poor inbound pass led to a Colonials fast break, Small chased down guard Mei-Lyn Bautista and forced her to turn it over with 5:15 left in the first half.
The Colonials never scored more than six straight points and turned the ball over 20 times, thanks to Maryland’s effectiveness on defense.
Maryland took advantage of the absence of George Washington’s Kelli Prange. The 6-foot-5 forward — who’s averaged more than six rebounds per game this season — missed the contest with a concussion, and in turn, the Terps out-rebounded the Colonials, 45-28.
“We really wanted to be aggressive off the bounce,” Frese said. “We felt like that was another area we could expose them. … We really followed through with that. We always want to be dominant on the glass and we did that tonight.”
Frese added that aside from their own turnovers, Maryland played a complete game on both sides of the ball.
Since falling to 2-2 with a loss to No. 1 Connecticut on Nov. 19, the Terps have now reeled off seven straight victories, five of which have come by more than 20 points. With two games remaining before conference play — both against teams with losing records — Maryland will look to continue its winning ways as it prepares to face the Big Ten.
