Welcome to The Diamondback Sports Digest. Every week, we send you a rundown of the latest Maryland athletics news.
Men’s and women’s basketball are trending in opposite directions as March Madness approaches. Coach Kevin Willard’s squad enters the Big Ten tournament as the No. 2 seed, while coach Brenda Frese’s team lost in the first round on Friday.
In this week’s newsletter, we’ll dive into both teams and baseball’s busy week at home.
Men’s basketball’s picture-perfect week
After the Terps fell to No. 8 Michigan State on Feb. 26, they could have fallen out of the conference’s top four and earned a double bye in the tournament. They’ve since won three straight since, perhaps most impressively a 71-65 win at No. 17 Michigan Wednesday night.
Derik Queen, Rodney Rice and Selton Miguel combined to score three quarters of Maryland’s points in the win. The trio helped the Terps overcome struggles from senior big man Julian Reese, who dealt with foul trouble and played his fewest minutes in nearly a month.
But Reese bounced back on senior day with a team-high 19 points, leading No. 13 Maryland to a 74-61 win over Northwestern Saturday. Paired with the Wolverines’ loss to the Spartans on Sunday, the stretch gave the Terps their best seed in the Big Ten tournament since 2015.
Women’s basketball flounders
The Terps entered the Big Ten tournament on a four-game win streak, including a thrilling overtime victory over No. 12 Ohio State. But all the double-bye netted them was a 98-71 loss to Michigan Friday.
Maryland got off to a horrendous start, scoring just six points in the opening quarter to trail by 21 points. A strong second frame brought Frese’s squad within four, but more struggles after halftime resulted in the program’s worst loss in the tournament.
The Terps now wait until next Sunday to find out their seeding in the NCAA tournament. Even with their surge entering the conference tournament, they weren’t projected a host bid. Their recent defeat likely cements that reality.
Baseball’s homestand is a mixed bag
Coach Matt Swope’s team had a four-game homestand, starting with a battle against James Madison on Tuesday. Maryland topped the Dukes, 8-4, behind strong hitting from the top of its lineup, but lost its first Big Ten series of the season to UCLA.
The Terps’ bullpen faltered in a 12-6 extra-innings loss to the Bruins in the series opener. A pair of home runs and a strong outing from redshirt sophomore Kyle McCoy opened a five-run lead, but a trio of runs in the seventh and ninth innings put UCLA ahead. After a Chris Hacopian home run forced extras, the Bruins scored six in the 10th frame.
Maryland’s bats dominated game two — Chris and Eddie Hacopian, Hollis Porter and Alex Calarco all homered in a 13-3 win — but its pitching struggled again in the rubber match. Sophomores Joey McMannis and Brayden Ryan allowed 11 second-inning runs in an 11-5 defeat.
Best Bits
- Julian Reese, who had numerous reasons to leave Maryland men’s basketball, chose to stay and cemented his legacy in the program.
- Sophomore Mariah Penta transferred to Maryland softball to find balance in a return to her home state.
- No. 1 Maryland men’s lacrosse remained undefeated with a dominant win over Delaware on Saturday.
- No. 9 Maryland women’s lacrosse secured its first ranked win this season with a victory over No. 12 James Madison Saturday afternoon.
- Maryland wrestling set multiple program records at the Big Ten championships on Sunday, earning an eighth-place finish with 54 total points.
Stat of the week
Maryland women’s basketball’s 98 points allowed to Michigan were its most ever given up in the Big Ten tournament.
Quote of the week
“We have not been good coming off byes, thanks a lot,” Willard said after being asked about men’s basketball having six days off before its next game. “I was gonna go have a beer, now I’m gonna switch to whiskey.”
