Maryland women’s basketball was ranked No. 15 in Monday’s Associated Press top 25 poll, jumping four spots from last week’s ranking. It’s the Terps’ highest placement since they were No. 14 in early February.
Coach Brenda Frese’s team has won six of its last eight outings, going 4-0 on the road. Sunday’s 93-90 overtime victory over Ohio State marked their fourth consecutive victory.
Senior guard Shyanne Sellers has been the catalyst behind Maryland’s recent success. She averaged 19 points during the four-game winning streak and scored more than 20 points in the last two outings. Sellers nailed three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter at Indiana on Feb. 27 to cap off a 25-point outing.
[Sarah Te-Biasu’s game-winner lifts Maryland women’s basketball over Ohio State, 93-90]
The Terps’ recent stretch has brought them back into contention to receive a No. 4 seed in the NCAA tournament and host the first and second rounds. Maryland has the fifth-most Quadrant 1 wins in the country with seven — the third-best mark in the Big Ten behind USC and UCLA.
Despite the plethora of quality victories, the Terps’ NET ranking sits at No. 25 after Sunday’s overtime thriller. The rankings are influential for seeding purposes in the national tournament — the low ranking is playing a role in Maryland not being projected to receive a top-four seed.
Maryland begins the Big Ten tournament Friday as the No. 4 seed, setting up a potential rematch with No. 5 seed Michigan in the quarterfinals. The Terps downed the Wolverines, 85-77, on Feb. 17 in College Park.
Follow along here for updates on Maryland’s tournament path in Indianapolis this week and the Terps’ NCAA tournament forecast.
