Maryland women’s basketball stuns Ohio State in Big Ten Tournament

Maryland women’s basketball pulled off a big win in the Big Ten Tournament on Friday, knocking off top-seeded Ohio State, 82-61.

Shyanne Sellers didn’t come off the floor in the win as she led the way with 25 points (9-of-17) and eight rebounds, while Brinae Alexander finished with 19 points each after shooting a combined 14-of-30 from the field. Faith Masonius was the lone Terp to post a double-double after finishing with 11 rebounds to go along with 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting.

“I just loved our intensity and energy from the tip. I thought we weathered foul trouble, and our fifth years, Jakia, Faith, and Nae, 53 points combined were huge,” head coach Brenda Frese said after the win. “Shy has battled injuries and has been tough all year. So proud to be able to get this win against Ohio State with her. All these guys have been to an Elite Eight, so you talk about being on the biggest stage and knowing they weren’t going to be denied this time of year.

After the Buckeyes took a five-point lead into the second quarter, the Terps doubled up in the second quarter to outscore Ohio State, 26-13, as Maryland shot over 60% from the field. That hot shooting continued into the second half as Maryland shot 63% from the field in the second half and dominated the rest of the way, while holding Ohio State to just 35% over the final 20 minutes.

“We focused on our defense, and it’s really about a defensive mentality. For us it leads to transition points and also just feeds into our offense,” Brinae Alexander said after the win. “I think the biggest thing is we were just like we’ve got to defend. Even if we’re not scoring, we’ve got to defend. I think we took that to heart and really put a big emphasis on that today.”

Friday’s win marks the first in three matchups against Ohio State this season, while Maryland entered the day among the ‘last four byes’ as the latest Friday projections had the Terps to draw an 11-seed and face Duke in the first round in Norman. Friday’s win safely puts Maryland in the field, though, as they look to bolster their resume into the weekend.

Maryland will face fifth-seed Nebraska in the semifinals on Saturday at 2 PM after the Huskers defeated Michigan State, 73-61.

The Huskers came out on top in the lone matchup this season, 87-81, in Lincoln, NE.

Related Links

How former Maryland assistants fared in year one as head coaches
Notes: roster turnover, two OVs set, recruiting rumblings
Maryland baseball looks to stay hot vs. Charlotte
Two DMV targets, ’25 verbal set official visits to Maryland
Mike Jones on how Old Dominion job came to fruition, how Willard took the news, next steps
Friendship four-star DT Bryce Jenkins locks in two official visits (+)