INDIANAPOLIS, In — No. 4 seed Maryland women’s basketball opened postseason play against No. 5 Michigan on Friday with one of its worst showings of the year. The Terps matched their lowest-scoring first quarter of the season — scoring just six points in the frame.

Maryland fell 98-71 to Michigan, suffering just its second all-time Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal loss in program history. It was the program’s worst loss in the tournament’s history, with the 98 points being the most the Terps have ever allowed in the tournament.

The 27 point margin of defeat was the largest Maryland has suffered in a Big Ten game this year. The Terps surrendered a season-worst 98 points, allowing Michigan to shoot 61 percent from the field and 52 percent from three.

“Disappointed we came out as flat as we did, [it] can’t happen in March,” coach Brenda Frese said. “You saw the tougher team, mentally and physically, wear us out in the second half.”

Fresh off its 10th double-bye in the last 11 seasons, Maryland (23-7) bypassed the Big Ten Tournament’s first two rounds. It entered postseason play surging with confidence as winners of its last four regular-season games, one of which came against the Wolverines (22-9).

Maryland defeated Michigan 85-77 in its regular-season matchup on Feb. 17. The Terps won that night despite a strong performance from Wolverines freshman Olivia Olsen. The freshman guard finished with a game-high 26 points in the initial contest.

Olsen, whose 16 points per game rank 11th in the Big Ten, carved Maryland’s defense again on Friday. She scored 10 first-quarter points, while Maryland finished with just six points.

Forward Christina Dalce picked up an offensive foul just seconds after Olsen’s opening score. Coach Brenda Frese wasted no time turning to her bench.

The veteran coach subbed in Saylor Poffenbarger less than a minute into the game. It was the redshirt junior’s first game action since exiting with a lower leg injury on Feb. 20 against Northwestern.

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Rapid substitutions continued throughout the remainder of the opening period. Poffenbarger reentered, followed by Amari DeBerry and Allie Kubek. Maryland played eight players in the first half, desperately trying to find a spark. 10 different Terps entered the game on Friday.

None of them were able to slow down Michigan’s offense. The Wolverines’ red-hot offense shot 7-for-8 from the field to open, draining their first four three-point attempts.

“When we had errors, they really did capitalize and they pushed it,” Dalce said. “To be honest, some of us were tired and there’s really [only] so much you can do.”

Michigan went on a 21-0 run in a six and a half minute stretch to close the first quarter, extending its lead to 20-plus. Fueled by 15 first-half points from Jordan Hobbs, the Wolverines’ advantage ballooned to as much as 25 before the second quarter’s first media timeout.

The game looked almost out of reach, but Maryland surged back midway through the second quarter. Key bench points from Ava McKennie and Mir McLean, mixed with 16 second-quarter points by Sarah Te-Biasu, fueled a 16-0 run.

After a disastrous start, Maryland trailed by just one point at halftime.

“It took a lot of fight to be able to come back,” Frese said.

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Te-Biasu knocked down four triples and finished with a game-high 25 points. But Maryland’s two All-Big Ten first team members, Shyanne Sellers and Kaylene Smikle, managed just 12 combined points on 4-for-13 shooting.

Smikle and Sellers scored a combined 27 points in the team’s first matchup, as Maryland took advantage of Michigan’s smaller lineup. But the Wolverines adjusted in the rematch, relentlessly double-teaming the Terps offense. Maryland shot just 3-for-10 on two-point field goals in the first quarter as a result.

“Offensively, we were very stagnant,” Frese said. “Our pace at times was really slow. They did a great job of doubling down low in the post, which we knew was going to happen.”

The second half opened similarly to the first two frames. Michigan scored 28 points in the third quarter, extending its lead to double digits again, an advantage they never surrendered.

Maryland’s first-ever Big Ten Tournament loss to Michigan likely leaves it without a chance to host an NCAA tournament game.

“This is going to be the last [loss] till next year… Us losing by 27 to a team that we beat in the season is unacceptable,” Dalce said. “We have to play as if this is our last game ever playing basketball.”