Maryland women’s basketball stifle Notre Dame, back in Elite Eight for first time since 2015

Maryland women’s basketball head coach Brenda Frese has her team back in the Elite Eight.

Maryland rode a dominant second half to defeat Notre Dame, 76-59, to make their first Elite Eight appearance since 2015. Maryland already handed Notre Dame a two-point loss in South Bend earlier this season, but now, Frese has guided the Terps to their seventh Elite Eight appearance.

“Just to know that we’re making history right now, it’s amazing, and we’re not done yet,” Diamond Miller said following the win.

Shyanne Seller and Diamond Miller led the way with 18 points each while Abby Meyers (11) and Lavender Briggs (12) finished in double figures. Miller has now finished in double-figures in all but one of Maryland’s 33 games this season.

Maryland forced eight turnovers in the opening quarter to take an early lead before Notre Dame’s 13-0 run in the second quarter flipped the switch. “I thought in the second quarter we were settling too much within the rhythm of their zone and their man, they were sagging off of us, which kind of baited us into taking shots, pull-ups that I thought we could have gotten to the rim, be a little bit more aggressive,” Frese said postgame.

After entering halftime down 32-31, Maryland outscored Notre Dame 45-27 in the second half as the Terps gradually built their lead. Maryland led the pace to open the third quarter thanks to five points from Sellers in the opening three minutes, but after Notre Dame tied the game at 44 following a pair of free throws, the Terps closed the quarter on a 13-1 run to take the game’s first double-digit lead. It didn’t stop there as Maryland opened the fourth quarter on an 8-2 run, stretching the lead as Sellers and Miller finished with six points each over the final ten minutes.

“I think just being more aggressive for me in the second half, trying to get more downhill,” Sellers added. “I think we were settling in a little bit too much in the first half with outside jumpers so kind of just keeping that in mind.”

Maryland now moves to 11-4 in the Sweet 16 all-time and moves to 20-8 as a two-seed all-time. The win also gives Maryland the edge in the series history, 6-5, and marks the first win against Notre Dame in the NCAA Tournament.

“This one for sure is gonna be one that one we don’t want to end. But when you talk about this journey and you take it from a year ago and all the question marks coming in, losing 85% of your offense to now sitting in an Elite Eight, and just the hard work behind the scenes with, with your staff and the players, the trust and the belief that started last offseason,” Frese added. “So I was reflecting on it today, just a year, what I felt like a year ago and to where we are today. This one is gonna be one I’ll remember for a really long time.”

Maryland will face the winner of South Carolina-UCLA on Monday.

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