Maryland women’s basketball is ranked No. 11 for the second consecutive week in the latest Associated Press poll released Monday.
Forward Shakira Austin was also one of 15 players named to the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List last week. The freshman is the only underclassman to be honored and she joins only two other non-seniors on the list.
And guard Taylor Mikesell was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the first time this year for her performance in two road wins.
[Read more: Stout defense helps No. 11 Maryland women’s basketball top Indiana, 76-56]
The Terps went 2-0 last week, dispatching Ohio State, 70-57, on Thursday and thrashing Indiana, 76-56, on Sunday to improve to 18-2 and 7-2 in the Big Ten.
Against the Buckeyes, the Terps used a 23-8 run over the final two quarters to overcome a 15-turnover first half and early foul trouble by starting guards Kaila Charles and Blair Watson — who scored just five points combined before the break.
Maryland completely flipped the script against the Hoosiers to close out the week, ending the half on a 14-0 run to blow the game open and enter the break with a 40-25 lead. The 15-point edge was the Terps’ largest after 20 minutes so far in conference play.
Although Austin wasn’t a significant factor on the offense in either contest, the Fredericksburg, Virginia, native was still a force on the other end of the floor. She averaged 9.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in the two victories.
[Read more: No. 11 Maryland women’s basketball fights off Ohio State in 70-57 win]
With four blocks last week, Austin raised her season total to 53 to break Marissa Coleman’s 52-block freshman record set in 2005-06 with more than a month left in the 2018-19 campaign. Austin currently ranks fifth in the NCAA in total blocks, and her 2.79 blocks per game average is tied for seventh.
Austin also ranks 26th with 10.8 boards per game.
Mikesell, meanwhile, averaged 13.5 points, 6.0 assists and 4.0 rebounds in the two games. The Massillon, Ohio, native scored in double-figures in both contests and was pivotal in the Terps’ victory over Ohio State.
For the second straight week, four Big Ten teams were slotted in the AP poll. Iowa retook the title as the second-highest ranked Big Ten team behind Maryland by moving up to No. 13, Rutgers dropped to No. 17 after suffering its first defeat of Big Ten play and Michigan State rose one spot to No. 22.
Minnesota and Indiana — who both received votes last week — weren’t listed on any ballots this time around.