Maryland women’s basketball loves to play at a fast pace. It constantly runs up and down the floor, looking to turn defensive stops into quick baskets on the fast break.
Illinois halted the Terps on Sunday.
The Illini’s slow tempo drew out offensive possessions and limited Maryland’s chances to score for itself. The Terps posted 65 points in the loss, a season-low against Big Ten opposition.
“If they didn’t have anything in transition, they were going to run the shot clock for 30 seconds and make plays at the end,” coach Brenda Frese said.
Maryland opened the second half by scoring 10 of the first 13 points in a two-minute span. Graduate student forward Allie Kubek drained a 3-pointer from the wing while redshirt junior guard Saylor Poffenbarger nailed a deep-range shot just 10 seconds into a later Terps’ possession.
Poffenbarger’s 3-pointer grew Maryland’s lead to nine points, tied for a game-high. But their advantage faded shortly after, as they suffered a more than three-minute scoreless streak.
[Illinois hands No. 14 Maryland women’s basketball 4th loss in last 5 contests, 66-65]
Illinois responded out of a third quarter timeout with 10 straight points. The Illini prevented Maryland from extending its lead by making baskets of their own deep into the shot clock.
The Terps weren’t able to run in transition following made baskets, causing their pace to slow and their lead to evaporate after three periods. Everything that worked at the beginning of the third frame vanished thanks to their subpar defense.
“Offensively wasn’t really our problem — it was defensively,” senior guard Shyanne Sellers said. “We couldn’t get stops. Ten threes made, 8-of-8 from the free throw line. Costly possessions.”
Each possession late in the fourth quarter was important in a game that featured 14 lead changes. Maryland, which possessed a four-point lead with less than two minutes left, needed one stop to preserve a two-score advantage.
But Illinois took its time, like it did throughout much of the game. The Illini ran a set for freshman forward Berry Wallace, who flushed a 3-pointer almost 20 seconds into the shot clock. One Illinois possession later, senior forward Brynn Shoup-Hill connected on a deep-range shot after the Illini dribbled through the Terps’ defense for more than half of the 30-second shot clock.
[Maryland men’s basketball notebook: AP ranks Terps for first time in nearly 2 years]
The back-to-back three-pointers were answered by a Sellers jumper, but senior guard Genesis Bryant swished two free throws to complete Illinois’ comeback victory.
Maryland missed a big opportunity to solidify its spot in the conference’s top four, which would earn them a coveted double bye in the Big Ten tournament. But more importantly, the Illini’s scheme to slow down the Terps worked, meaning that other teams can employ similar techniques.
Maryland embarks on its first West Coast trip this week, beginning at Oregon on Thursday. The Ducks, who are an impressive 13-1 in Eugene this season, will also attempt to sedate the Terps’ offense.
“Oregon is going to do the same thing. You’re going to see that game plan moving forward,” Frese said. “It’s impactful.”