With Maryland down a point, Shyanne Sellers sealed an Illinois defender on the left block, taking a firm dribble right before pivoting left for a hook layup. The clutch basket provided Maryland a one-point lead with just 13 seconds left.
Genesis Bryant sank two free throws following a shooting foul seconds later, giving the Terps the ball back in the same position — this time with under two seconds on the clock.
Sellers inbounded to Allie Kubek, who fired a quick pass back in a give-and-go sequence. The senior guard, back on the left block, created space before rising up for a straightaway jumper that clanked off the back rim as time expired.
Late-game heroics handed No. 14 Maryland women’s basketball its first-ever loss against Illinois, 66-65. The Terps have lost four of their last five games, with Sunday’s result marking their first loss against an unranked opponent.
The Fighting Illini controlled pace through the opening five minutes thanks to scores from Genesis Bryant, Jasmine Brown-Hagger and Adali McKenzie.
“They were disruptive,” Sellers said. “We couldn’t get stops.”
But the Terps frontcourt improved their man-to-man defense, holding Illinois scoreless for nearly three straight minutes. The Illini shot a nightmarish 26 percent from the field in the first quarter.
Amari DeBerry, in her second career start, matched up against Kendall Bostic early. The Illinois senior forward entered Sunday averaging a team-high 16 points and 11 rebounds. DeBerry’s four-inch height advantage helped her keep Bostic scoreless in six first-quarter minutes with two missed paint field goals.
[Sarah Te-Biasu stepped up in Maryland women’s basketball’s win at Penn State]
Sarah Te-Biasu glanced toward the sideline as coach Brenda Frese motioned for a swing pass to senior guard Shyanne Sellers midway through the first period.
The graduate guard obliged. Sellers received the pass on the left wing before accelerating past an Allie Kubek screen. She embraced contact to complete a crafty and-one floater, good for her 1,500th career point minutes after receiving pregame Senior Day honors.
The score extended Maryland’s single-digit advantage, creating a narrow cushion for the remainder of the period.
Kaylene Smikle directed the Terp offense in the second frame, scoring a pair of baskets along with two free throws to account for nearly half of Maryland’s 14 second-quarter points. Her 11 first-half points marked the junior guard’s 21st consecutive game in double-figures. She finished with a team-high 15 points and seven rebounds, nailing four of Maryland’s nine eventual free throws.
A driving layup from Te-Biasu with less than a minute left in the second quarter broke yet another tie, putting Maryland ahead, 32-30, at halftime.
The back-and-forth play continued into the second half. Bryant poured in a 3-pointer just nine seconds out of the break, providing the game’s sixth lead change.
A 10-0 Maryland scoring run immediately following Bryant’s triple opened the third-quarter floodgates, extending the Terp lead to nine before the Fighting Illini could score again.
But once more, Illinois clawed its way back.
[No. 14 Maryland women’s basketball leads from start to finish in 82-73 win over Penn State]
Bryant, Bostic and Berry Wallace accounted for all of Illinois’ 20 third-quarter points. The trio tied the score at 50 apiece entering a pressure-filled final period.
Illinois’ dynamic offense stacked possessions to begin the fourth quarter, letting the shot clock run low before methodically searching for half-court set looks. It limited Maryland to just four attempted field goals in the first five minutes.
“Illinois was dictating this to be a low-scoring game, taking possessions out of the game. … they shortened the game,” Frese said. “You’ve got to be able to get more stops on the defensive end and your shot selection has to be elite.”
Te-Biasu stood atop the Maryland logo with just under two minutes left, waiting for Kubek’s screen before making her move. She hesitated before sidestepping an Illinois defender, contributing a timely paint layup that extended the Terp lead to four.
A pair of straightaway 3-pointers from Wallace and Brynn Shoup-Hill capped a 10-4 lead that gave the Illini the lead before Sellers’ basket. It marked the first time Maryland’s given up 10 or more single-game 3-pointers this season.
“They’re a really hard scout … their shots were falling,” Frese said. “Just disappointed that we didn’t make enough plays down the stretch.”
Snapping their rough skid doesn’t get easier for the Terps — they’ll play at an Oregon team on Thursday that’s 13-1 at home.
“Everything happens for a reason,” Sellers said. “There’s some time to turn around and actually get serious and go on a run.”