No. 7 Maryland women’s basketball began its matchup against Mount St. Mary’s with a different starting five compared to its first eight games of the season.
Coach Brenda Frese opted for Saylor Poffenbarger over Christina Dalce, as Poffenbarger entered the contest off two-straight double-doubles. She contributed another double-digit point total on Tuesday.
The Terps topped the Mountaineers, 87-52, at Xfinity Center behind Poffenbarger’s 10 points and seven rebounds. Maryland beat Mount St. Mary’s (0-6) for the 11th straight time, winning by an average of just over 46 points in the past five meetings.
Poffenbarger was on the floor for the entire opening frame, the only Terp to do so. The guard created a steal on the defensive end that led to a fast-break 3-pointer by Sarah Te-Biasu. Poffenbarger connected on a 3-pointer of her own later in the period, her only points in the quarter.
The redshirt junior added a close-range shot in the second quarter and corralled a team-high four rebounds through 15 minutes. Poffenbarger played the most minutes in the first half alongside Te-Biasu. Foul trouble prevented her from extended playing time in the third frame, but she still nailed her second 3-pointer from the corner and dished out an assist to Dalce.
“She’s a triple-threat for us,” senior guard Shyanne Sellers said. “She can rebound, she can score inside, she can score outside. I think she makes it a tough matchup for other people.”
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Poffenbarger completed her double-digit scoring performance with a jumper in the final minute of the third quarter, her fourth game this year hitting at least 10 points.
Even with Poffenbarger’s production throughout, Maryland (9-0) endured one of its worst starts on offense this season. The Terps scored just four points and made just one field goal in the opening four minutes, and only shot 31 percent from the floor in the entire quarter to post 15 points.
Dalce entered after the subpar start. Her impact was instantly felt.
Junior guard Bri McDaniel maneuvered her way into the paint and around multiple Mountaineers players midway through the first quarter, dropping a pass to Dalce, which the senior turned into a layup plus the foul. The forward scored five first-quarter points in her first game off the bench and finished with 13, a team-high to tie her season-best.
“I think just recognizing what I bring to the table, in terms of grabbing boards, bringing defensive energy,” Dalce said. “I just went in with an open mind of whatever happens tonight, it’s for the team at the end of the day.”
Maryland’s poor shooting subsided in the following frame. The Terps strung together five-straight made baskets and put together a 15-4 scoring run. Ten of their 11 field goals were layups in the second quarter, leading to a much-improved shooting display as Maryland converted over half of its attempts.
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But the Terps only entered halftime with 40 points, matching their third-lowest total at the break through the opening nine games.
Maryland’s offense ran through the post, primarily through Dalce and graduate student forward Allie Kubek at the start of the second half. The pair combined for three of the first five makes, all inside the paint. Kubek even converted a three-point play to become the first Terp in double-digits scoring.
Maryland racked up 54 paint points in the entire game, outscoring Mount St. Mary’s just on baskets down low. This is the fifth game this season the Terps have notched 50 or more.
The Terps’ presence in the post contributed to another double-digit victory while shooting just 3-for-12 from three-point range. They’ve totaled 164 points close to the hoop during a three-game stretch, showing they can win games with their play in the paint.
“We’re intentional there,” Frese said. “When your 3-point shot isn’t falling, I think you need to be even more tuned into being able to get easier looks until your shot starts falling.”
