Welcome to The Diamondback Sports Digest. Every week, we send you a rundown of the latest Maryland athletics news.
Maryland women’s basketball coach Brenda Frese secured three transfers as she looks to improve after one of the Terps’ most disappointing seasons in recent memory.
In this week’s newsletter, we’ll dive into Frese’s additions, a few men’s basketball transfer portal pickups, men’s lacrosse’s big loss, one Maryland gymnast’s historic feat and more.
Brenda’s building it back
Maryland women’s basketball lost team captain Faith Masonius and former five-star freshman Riley Nelson to the transfer portal early in the offseason. Coupled with Jakia Brown-Turner exhausting her collegiate eligibility, the Terps had many holes to fill after their earliest departure from the NCAA Tournament in 14 years.
Frese began filling those holes this week with three major additions.
Kaylene Smikle, the offseason’s first commit, averaged 16.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists a game as a sophomore for Rutgers. Sarah Te-Biasu, a 5-foot-5 senior who has experience with the Canadian National team, is the reigning Atlantic 10 Player of the Year and averaged 16 points per game for VCU.
Smikle and Te-Biasu could help an already-formidable Terps backcourt with Shyanne Sellers and Bri McDaniel. But the Terps lacked depth in their frontcourt — that’s where Mayé Touré comes in.
The 6-foot-2 France native averaged about 13 points and eight rebounds per game for the Rams in the last two seasons and like Smikle and Te-Biasu, the senior forward figures to be an immediate contributor for Maryland.
Maryland men’s lacrosse goes quiet in “The Rivalry”
Maryland’s offense has struggled for most of the season while a stellar defense has helped the Terps overcome their shortcomings on the other side of the field.
But no amount of defense could make up for a season-low five goals on Saturday. Maryland fell to in-state rival Johns Hopkins, 7-5, in perhaps its biggest regular season contest. A win would’ve given Maryland a shared Big Ten title and the conference tournament’s top seed. Instead, the Terps rank second.
Maryland began the season with four straight wins but enters postseason play 4-4 over its last eight games.
Emma Silberman makes history for Maryland gymnastics
Silberman is the first Maryland gymnast to compete in nationals in more than 20 years. She was born five days after the last Terp competed for a national championship.
Silberman’s career-high 9.950 on vault in the NCAA regionals gave her a national berth, where she scored 9.7265.
Though Silberman didn’t finish victorious, it was a strong way to go out for a graduate student who’s gone through ups and downs in her Maryland career. Gymnastics beat reporter Lea Glaser spoke to Silberman and coach Brett Nellgian on the historic feat and Silberman’s journey.
Best bits
- Maryland men’s basketball added two transfers in USF’s Selton Miguel and Georgia Tech’s Tafara Gapare.
- Brayden Martin builds on the legacy of his uncle — men’s basketball icon Walt Williams — in his first year with Maryland baseball.
- Eric Malever missed men’s lacrosse’s entire last season due to injury, but his grueling recovery process allowed for success this year.
- Maryland women’s lacrosse might’ve come closest to a complete, four-quarter game with their performance on Wednesday, where Cathy Reese’s offense led the way.
- Maryland softball pitcher Courtney Wyche has dominated the circle for most of the season, but a lack of depth behind her has challenged the Terps.
Stat of the week
Maryland men’s lacrosse’s shooting percentage dipped to 29.1 percent after its loss to Johns Hopkins. If that mark holds, it’d be the program’s lowest shooting percentage since 2015.
Tweet of the week
Frese expressed her joy on social media.
2nd GREAT day to be a TERP! 🐢❤️🥳🎉#comepartywithBrenda pic.twitter.com/FFvGqI1TxO
— Brenda Frese (@BrendaFrese) April 18, 2024
