When Wisconsin mounted a quick 7-0 run in the third quarter to narrow a 12-point deficit to 39-34 on Thursday, the Maryland women’s basketball team needed one of its leaders to step up to extend its three-game win streak.
And just as she’s done countless times in College Park, guard Kaila Charles took over and went into another gear.
Charles scored or assisted on the No. 11 Terps’ next eight points to stamp out any potential brewing of a letdown and give the team a double-digit edge. Then, Maryland opened the final 10 minutes on a 9-0 run — during which Charles scored six points — to secure the victory over Wisconsin, 75-57, and the Terps’ fourth consecutive double-digit win.
“We got a lot more aggressive, especially with our defense in the second half,” coach Brenda Frese said. “I thought we were able to play through Kaila and the rest of the team. Just really liked our energy.”
In the early stages, though, the game was far from the makings of a blowout.
Both teams traded baskets while feeling each other out early on. A triple by guard Blair Watson with 3:45 left in the quarter gave the Terps (19-2, 8-2 Big Ten) a six-point lead — the largest by either team in the period — but the Badgers (11-11, 2-8) quickly fought back to trail 19-18 after 10 minutes.
Not much changed at the start of the second quarter, but after guard Imani Lewis converted 1-of-2 shots from the line, Maryland made the first significant move of the contest even at 21 points each.
Guard Sara Vujacic drilled a three-pointer in transition to break the tie. And after another conversion from beyond the arc by guard Taylor Mikesell and a midrange jumper by guard Kaila Charles, the Terps had built an 8-0 run to take a 29-21 lead, equalling the largest by either team in the half.
But after the quick burst, Wisconsin and Maryland traded baskets yet again, as both sides stayed within 6-to-8 points of each other in the final 6:11 of the first half. The Terps went into the break with a 35-27 lead.
Although Maryland entered the locker room with a decent advantage, Frese felt the lead could’ve been even greater.
“I thought we started a little slow,” Frese said. “It was kind of a sluggish first half for us.”
Maryland’s balanced attack in the opening 20 minutes saw four different players score at least six points, and forward Shakira Austin was the Terps’ leading scorer with seven points on a somewhat inefficient 3-for-8 from the field. The freshman finished with 11 points and added 10 rebounds to complete a double-double.
By the end of the game, all 10 players on Maryland’s roster registered a point, and the Terps’ bench outscored Wisconsin 23-14 during the course of the contest.
“Big picture, we want to be playing three games in three days for the Big Ten tournament,” Frese said. “To do that, we have to be able to have this depth.”
At the start of the second half, Maryland opened with four straight points to extend its advantage to 12 points before a 7-0 Wisconsin run shrunk the lead to just five. But Charles quickly put an end to Badgers’ stretch.
Charles took matters into her own hands on the next few possessions, contributing on the Terps’ next eight points. By the end of the quarter, the junior was up to 10 points in the frame. She finished with 22 points.
“We knew that once we locked in and played together and were more aggressive and intense on defense, it would lead to our offense,” Charles said. “So we were able to build a lead after that.”
Maryland picked up where it left off in the final 10 minutes, blitzing the Badgers with a 9-0 run to put the game in hand for good. Charles continued her dominance, and after an easy lay-in with 6:44 left, the Terps had built a 61-41 advantage.
With a sizeable lead, Frese could again run the clock out with her bench, as forward Olivia Owens scored with 2:24 left for her first basket since Dec. 8 — the final highlight of a 75-57 victory over Wisconsin.
“They’re going to bring their A-game every game,” Austin said of the Terps’ Big Ten opposition. “We just have to make sure we do the same.”
