As forward Ashtyn Veerbeek drilled her second consecutive free throw to pull Nebraska within 45-43, Maryland women’s basketball was in danger of suffering its second upset loss in as many weeks.
The Terps had led by single digits for most of the game to that point, and the Huskers came out of halftime strong to put the pressure on coach Brenda Frese’s squad.
But guard Kaila Charles picked up No. 9 Maryland, leading her team on a 12-2 run to put Nebraska away for good. And for the first time in conference play, Frese could calmly watch as her subs ran the clock out in an 81-63 triumph — the 500th win of her career.
“The first half was a battle,” Frese said. “The difference was the second half, and I thought it was one of our more complete games defensively.”
At the onset, the Terps (14-1, 3-1 Big Ten) were explosive on the offensive end.
Following guard Blair Watson’s missed three-point attempt in the first minute, Maryland made five consecutive shots from behind the arc. The Terps finished the game shooting 10-for-17 on threes after shooting just 35.6 percent from deep in their first 14 outings.
Guard Channise Lewis, who’s struggled to carve out a role since moving to the bench last month, provided an immediate spark. The sophomore drilled a jumper on her first possession after entering the game and netted seven points in the first quarter, helping the Terps to a 26-23 advantage after the opening period.
Following the first quarter, during which Nebraska (7-8, 2-2) went 9-of-17 from the field and 3-of-4 from deep, Maryland drastically improved defensively. The home squad was just 14-for-44 with two 3-pointers in the final 30 minutes.
“I thought our ball pressure and athleticism really disrupted their offense,” Frese said.
Initially, the Terps’ issues on the defensive glass — which doomed them to an loss to Rutgers last week — prevented them from pulling away. The Huskers grabbed six offensive rebounds in the second quarter alone, and Maryland only extended its lead to 43-37 at the break.
Coming out of the locker room, the Terps had scored just four points in as many minutes before Charles rebounded a missed jumper from forward Stephanie Jones and put home a layup. That ignited the run that extended the edge to double digits.
In Maryland’s first three Big Ten contests, forward Shakira Austin, the team’s leading rebounder, failed to exceed three minutes played after halftime, and the Terps struggled on the boards in each of those matchups.
Frese said she’s always worried about “freshmen hitting that freshman wall come February,” and given Austin’s limited minutes in conference play, the 6-foot-5 rim protector appeared to be hitting that wall a month sooner than her coach had anticipated.
But after its rebounding struggles against Nebraska, Maryland needed Austin to step up and close off the paint, just as she had done against weaker competition early in the season. In seven second-half minutes, Austin grabbed six rebounds — five on the defensive glass — as the Terps limited the Huskers to five offensive boards in the final 20 minutes.
Charles netted six of her game-high 19 points during the run to give Maryland a comfortable edge, and the Terps further improved their play in the final period. After Watson drilled her fourth triple of the night with 3:26 left, their lead ballooned to 20 points.
And with 1:10 remaining, Frese emptied her bench for the first time since nonconference play, as the Terps easily dispatched the Huskers for the longtime Maryland coach’s 500th career win.
“She holds us to the highest standard,” Mikesell said. “And that’s why she’s at 500 wins and is going to get a lot more.”
