Maryland women’s basketball has rebounded. Its won four of its six contests this month after a poor January and has risen back into contention for a double-bye in the Big Ten tournament.
A number of key conference games helped the Terps rise in the standings. USC and UCLA both defeated Illinois and Michigan State in the last two weeks, while Indiana topped Ohio State.
Those results helped propel Maryland into fourth place in the Big Ten standings. The Terps have finished below fourth place just once since joining the Big Ten.
Maryland faces a difficult upcoming schedule, though. The Terps will travel to Indiana — where they haven’t won since 2020 — and then face Ohio State for a second time. Those two contests will be critical for the Terps’ chances of hosting the first and second rounds of the NCAA tournament.
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Turnovers could hurt Maryland in Ohio State rematch
In the expanded Big Ten, women’s basketball programs play one opponent twice during the season. The Terps drew Ohio State for a home and away set, and the Buckeyes took the first meeting in Columbus, 74-66.
Maryland’s eight-point defeat in January was a contest it could have won. The Terps led by seven at the break despite 11 turnovers in the first half. Ohio State only netted nine points off of the opening-half giveaways but capitalized in the second half.
The Buckeyes scored 11 points off six Maryland turnovers, mounting a comeback win. Ohio State’s increased pressure in the second half created havoc for the Terps’ guards, leading to a stretch of three giveaways in a little more than a minute.
Maryland has struggled with turnovers for a majority of the season. It almost let double-digit leads slip away at Washington and Northwestern, committing 32 turnovers in those two games alone.
The Terps averaged just under 16 per game against conference opponents, one of the highest marks among Big Ten teams.
“I think turnovers are costly. Teams can capitalize off them,” guard Shyanne Sellers said. “We got to settle down and be a little bit more poised.”
Sellers should be available against the Buckeyes after missing the first matchup against Ohio State with a right knee sprain. An additional ball handler will help the Terps combat any adversity they face in a full-court press.
Maryland controls its tournament seeding fate
The Terps only need two wins to clinch a top-four seed in the Big Ten. A double bye is critical in the conference tournament — a five seed or higher hasn’t won the tournament since 2010.
Maryland can still play at Xfinity Center in the first and second rounds of the NCAA tournament. Wins against Indiana and Ohio State — which are 36th and 19th in the NET Rankings on Feb. 25, respectively — would give Maryland two more Quad 1 victories, bringing its total to seven.
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Maryland will be one of few teams to have a slew of quality wins. Only nine other programs have more entering the final week of the season.
The Terps are projected to be a No.6-seed by ESPN, and will play their first and second round games in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. If Maryland doesn’t climb to the No.4-seed line, its shown it can win on the road.
Only two power-four conference teams possess more true road wins than the Terps. Their 9-1 record is tied for the best mark in the Big Ten.
“I think that conference [play] prepares you,” coach Brenda Frese said. “It prepares your players to be in these tight games. I think that’s the beauty of what it will look like in March and the Big Ten tournament as well, is in the NCAA [tournament] you’re battle tested.”
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story misstated that Maryland women’s basketball plays each opponent twice. It plays one team twice during the season. This story has been updated.
