Maryland women’s basketball opened Thursday’s game against Nebraska with one of its best offensive quarters of the season. The Terps shot over 60 percent from the floor and posted 29 points.
The shooting display didn’t continue. They combined for just 12 more field goals in the ensuing three frames and were outscored by 31.
No. 17 Maryland’s dismal offense over the final three periods against the Cornhuskers led to its third straight loss at the Xfinity Center, 91-71. The Terps lost their only game of the week with one of their worst shooting performances in conference play.
“We just got embarrassed,” coach Brenda Frese said.
Maryland (19-6, 9-5 Big Ten) fell further away from the top four of the Big Ten standings with the loss. The Terps haven’t won at home in nearly a month.
Guard Shyanne Sellers is still working to get back to 100 percent after suffering a knee sprain against Texas on Jan. 20. The senior seemed to be back to her All-Big Ten ways Thursday.
Sellers opened the game with 12 of the Terps’ first 15 points. She knocked down five field goal attempts in the opening five minutes, including two 3-pointers. The senior capped her first-quarter display with a full-court pass to Saylor Poffenbarger, who converted an easy layup. She finished with 23, her most since returning from injury.
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Sellers’ teammates followed her scoring touch early.
Maryland missed only seven field goals in the first quarter, going an efficient 12-for-19. Guards Kaylene Smikle, Saylor Poffenbarger and Sarah Te-Biasu each nailed a 3-pointer as the Terps scored 29 points in the opening frame.
Despite seven more from Sellers in the second quarter, the Terps’ offense couldn’t continue their earlier production. Maryland netted just 16 points while Nebraska (17-8, 8-6 Big Ten) eliminated an 11-point deficit. The Cornhuskers hit three treys in the second quarter and embarked on a 17-2 scoring run to enter halftime tied at 45.
Maryland’s defense against the Cornhuskers’ center Alexis Markowski was solid — an improvement for a unit that’s struggled to contain opposing bigs this year.
The Nebraska senior scored her team’s initial six points, but didn’t score for an eight minute span to close the first half. Senior guard Alberte Rimdal replaced her scoring with eight second-quarter points off the bench.
Markowski added 12 in the second half and finished with 20 in the Cornhuskers’ comeback win.
[Kaylene Smikle, Sarah Te-Biasu carried Maryland women’s basketball on its West Coast trip]
Shooting woes for the Terps continued into the new half. They shot 3-for-14 on field goals in the period while the Cornhuskers shot at a 62.5 percent clip. Four more Nebraska 3-pointers opened up a 14-point Cornhuskers’ lead with a quarter remaining.
“It rears its ugly head. We’ve had quarters like this that we were able to get away with on the road,” Frese said. “These games now come down to playing 40 minutes, and you have to be complete in those 40 minutes.”
Maryland made three shots in the fourth and scored 12, its lowest scoring quarter of the game.
Nebraska was one of the only teams to dominate Maryland on the boards this season, outrebounding the Terps by 17. Maryland mustered only six offensive rebounds.
Maryland has four regular season games remaining, with three against teams below them in the conference standings. Winning those matchups could still secure a finish inside the top four, but other results would have to favor the Terps.
“Time is winding down. We got four more league games, and then one guaranteed Big Ten tournament game,” Sellers said. “We got to make a choice. The locker room is full of competitors and I know we’ll respond, but we have to make a choice.”
