Maryland women’s basketball’s frontcourt struggles were exposed against Nebraska

No. 17 Maryland women’s basketball has only lost 13 home games since joining the Big Ten in 2014. Three of those defeats have come within the last three weeks, including two against unranked opponents — largely because of frontcourt struggles.

The latest defeat, Thursday night’s 91-71 loss to Nebraska, marked the first time Maryland has dropped three straight games at Xfinity Center since 2010. The Terps allowed 40 opponent paint points, nearly half of which belonged to 6-foot-3 center Alexis Markowski.

“We just got embarrassed, and now [it’s] the moment of truth on how you’re going to respond,” coach Brenda Frese said. “It’s really hard when you go with Plan A, Plan B, Plan C, then Plan D and none of them are working.”

The Terps scored 29 first-quarter points at a 63 percent clip despite a notable size disadvantage. They limited the Cornhuskers’ post-heavy offense to just 8-for-21 shooting in the frame.

While Nebraska didn’t score much through the opening five-and-a-half minutes, all of its first six points came inside the box on layups from Markowski. Like most of their defeats this season, the Terps’ lack of size quickly showed.

Sporting seven players taller than six feet, the Cornhusker attack hunted high quality paint touches in the second quarter and found increased success. Nebraska outrebounded Maryland 13-3 in the frame alone, dominating offensive possessions with a 15-2 run that evened the score at 45 entering halftime.

[No. 17 Maryland women’s basketball suffers home upset to Nebraska, 91-71]

“They were the more aggressive team,” Frese said. “They exposed us.”

Markowski finished with a team-high 20 points — one of six players in the double digits — as the Cornhuskers led by as much as 28 in the second half. The senior proved crucial in facilitating Nebraska’s inside-out style of play, drawing paint defense in while dishing out three assists to open outside shooters.

The Terps never found an answer.

Nebraska logged 40 total paint points, 12 made triples and 42 rebounds — 13 of which came on the offensive glass. It outscored Maryland by 31 points in the final three quarters.

“When you have a presence like Alexis inside … then what happens is it tends to open up better looks from behind the arc,” Nebraska coach Amy Williams said. “[It’s] because of the paint touches that we got.”

Maryland has allowed more paint points than its opponents in four of its six losses this season, including Nebraska.

The Terps’ season ended last year in the NCAA tournament’s opening round, due in part to their inability to stop Iowa State’s Audi Crooks. The Cyclones’ 6-foot-3 center poured in a career-high 40 points, most of which came down low.

Frese lasered in on defensive depth and rebounding after the loss to address this past offseason.

[Maryland women’s basketball notebook: A record-breaking sweep, keys to third straight win]

While its rebounding has improved substantially, Maryland’s interior defense has still consistently struggled against true forwards and centers this season.

Texas’ frontcourt trio of Madison Booker, Taylor Jones and Kyla Oldacre combined for 56 points in late January against the Terps — more than Maryland’s 51-point total. UCLA’s Lauren Betts dropped a career-high 33 points with 14 made paint field goals a week later in its double-digit victory over the Terps.

After winning six of its first seven conference games, Maryland has endured despondent Big Ten play that leaves it stumbling to close the regular season.

The Terps have dropped nine spots in the Associated Press Top 25 rankings since the start of 2025 while sporting the eighth-highest strength of schedule rating in the country by RealTimeRPI. Maryland will still face Michigan and No. 9 Ohio State at home.

The Buckeyes and Wolverines rank third and sixth respectively in points per game among Big Ten teams, which could prove troublesome to stop for a struggling Terp rotation without junior guard Bri McDaniel, who is out for the season with a torn ACL.

Maryland scored at least 70 points in 15 of its first 16 games before McDaniel’s injury against Minnesota on Jan. 14. It’s eclipsed that mark just three times since.

Frese is still searching for others to fill voids in McDaniel’s absence. With just two weeks left before postseason play, the Terps are running out of time to find it.

“Time is winding down,” senior guard Shyanne Sellers said. “We got four more league games and then one guaranteed Big Ten Tournament game …. we’ve got to make a choice.”