Maryland women’s basketball has found itself a new duo.

Oluchi Okananwa and Saylor Poffenbarger combined for 42 points, nine rebounds and nine steals as Maryland dominated the Badgers, 97-59, Monday in its Big Ten home opener.

The win gave the Terps their second consecutive 14-0 start to a season.

Okananwa posted career-highs of 28 points and six steals in just 20 minutes. The Duke transfer has gone from a sixth woman role with the Blue Devils to the top scorer with Maryland.

The junior averaged 15.5 points before Monday’s matchup at Xfinity Center, which was tied for No. 12 in the Big Ten. That rank is sure to rise after draining 10 field goals on 15 shots and adding five makes at the free throw line.

Okananwa, despite standing just 5-foot-10, is also separating herself as a rebounder. She grabbed four boards within the first five minutes against the Badgers.

The guard said earlier in the season that she’s taken Frese’s rebounding emphasis personally and has strived to be a leader in that category.

Poffenbarger, who was honored before the game for reaching 1000 career points, came out strong in her first appearance in 22 days. The senior missed the past two contests amid what Frese called a “planned rest period” for an ankle injury.

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Poffenbarger has gained serious attention as a potential 2026 WNBA draft prospect. The Middletown native posted 30 points and 10 rebounds in Maryland’s double overtime win against Minnesota, the same day Kaylene Smikle announced she would forfeit the season to undergo knee surgery.

Poffenbarger used her physicality well Monday, swatting away a 3-point attempt from leading Badgers scorer Kyrah Daniels with ease. Two plays later, Poffenbarger dove under the basket to secure an offensive rebound. She finished with 14 points.

Much of the Badgers’ struggles was the result of lackluster rebounding. The Terps outpaced them 16-3 in the first quarter, with seven of them coming on the offensive glass. Maryland grabbed 51 rebounds for the game and scored 20 second-chance points off 20 offensive rebounds.

The Terps rank second in the Big Ten in rebounding average, just behind UCLA. Isimenme Ozzy-Momodu and Mir McLean paced them on Monday with nine and eight, respectively.

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Maryland took advantage of a tinier Wisconsin roster. Ronnie Porter, the Badgers’ 5-foot-2 point guard, was swamped by Maryland’s height and scored just three points. It took Wisconsin over five minutes to crack the Terps’ press and put up its first points.

Wisconsin came into the night on a three-game win streak, including an upset over No. 20 Michigan State. The Badgers remained unable to top the Terps, dropping to 0-15 in the matchup’s history.

Maryland has remained at No. 7 in the AP poll since Nov. 24. The Terps have picked up additional quality wins since against Big Ten foe Minnesota and then-No. 16 Kentucky, but haven’t been rewarded.

The end of the Terps’ nonconference slate was also noncompetitive, though. They blew out Hofstra, Mount St. Mary’s, Delaware State and Connecticut State between Nov. 27 and Dec. 19, with the Minnesota game sandwiched between.

Despite Maryland losing three players for the season since late November, the team hasn’t lost a beat. The duo of Okananwa and Poffenbarger filled the gap on Monday, evolving into a serious threat as Big Ten play picks up.