Maryland women’s basketball’s overtime win over No. 13 Ohio State on Sunday was critical for multiple reasons. The victory clinched a double bye in the Big Ten Tournament and bolstered the Terps’ national postseason outlook.

The nation’s top-16 teams — across the one, two, three and four-seed lines — host the NCAA Tournament’s first and second rounds at their home arenas. Home court advantage pays dividends: Maryland is 17-3 in tournament games played at Xfinity Center since 2011.

“It means everything to be here and to play here,” senior guard Shyanne Sellers said.

 

Recent bracketology projections place Maryland near the five seed line, narrowly missing out on a host bid. A strong Big Ten Tournament performance, coupled with a high-quality regular-season resume, could place the Terps as a four seed or higher.

“We want to be able to host,” coach Brenda Frese said. “Our body of work speaks for itself.”

Maryland holds the 12th-highest strength of schedule in the country, per RealTimeRPI. The Terps boast seven Quadrant 1 wins — along with a combined 16-2 record in Quadrant 2, 3 and 4 games. Only two Big Ten teams, USC and UCLA, have more Quadrant 1 victories.

The Big Ten’s strong season will likely help Maryland’s seeding placement on Selection Sunday. 11 teams from the conference are currently projected to make the tournament, according to The Athletic. The Terps will have ample opportunities for resume-boosting wins this week at the conference tournament.

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Other teams currently slotted above Maryland on the NCAA Tournament three and four-seed lines include Duke, North Carolina, Ole Miss, Oklahoma and Kentucky, among others, according to ESPN.

The Terps have more Quadrant 1 wins than each of the five aforementioned teams. Only North Carolina has a better overall win percentage than the Terps.

Maryland also holds a home win over No. 11 Duke. It beat the Blue Devils 85-80 on Nov. 10 in its most notable non-conference victory.

Maryland ranked within the nation’s top-10 in half of this season’s weekly AP polls. After a two-month stretch of being placed in the top-10, the Terps lost three consecutive games to ranked opponents in a nightmarish six-day stretch in late January.

A number of injuries sent Maryland on a tumble. It dropped 13 spots in the rankings, falling as low as No. 21 by late February.

The Terps suffered two Quadrant 2 losses at home against Illinois and Nebraska during that stretch. Both opponents narrowly fall outside the Quadrant 1 status, with Illinois ranked No. 31 and Nebraska No. 41 in the NET rankings. Quadrant 1 includes home games against teams ranked 1–30.

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But after four straight wins to close the 2024-25 regular season, the red-hot Terps are well in contention to host opening round games in College Park.

Though most of their ranked wins have come at Xfinity Center, the Terps have played well on the road. Their 10-1 away record is the fifth-best in the country, while the Terps’ four home losses mark their most in a single season since 2009-10.

But Maryland would certainly welcome its 14th NCAA Tournament host selection in the last 17 years. A convincing quarterfinal showing on Friday at the Big Ten Tournament would boost its chances.

“We control our own destiny,” Frese said. “Whether we’re home or on the road, [we’ve] shown that we’ve been able to lock in.”