COLLEGE PARK, MD – No. 4 seed Maryland stayed perfect in NCAA Tournament First Round games under Brenda Frese as the Terps defeated No. 13 seed Delaware, 102-71, on Friday at XFINITY Center. The Terps will take on No. 12 seed Florida Gulf Coast, an upset winner in the earlier game on Friday against No. 5 seed Virginia Tech. Maryland (22-8 overall) and FGCU (30-2) will play on Sunday at a time to be announced when available. The 102 point outburst is the second biggest postseason total in Maryland history, with the most being 103 points against Bucknell on March 17, 2017. It is the third time that Maryland has eclipsed the 100-point total in an NCAA Tournament game. Ashley Owusu (24 points) and Diamond Miller (23 points) led the way for Maryland in terms of scoring. Miller reached 1,000 career points in the matchup. Owusu also dished out a game-high six assists. Katie Benzan had her best game in two months as she knocked down five three-pointers and scored 17 points. Angel Reese had a strong game in the interior, scoring 15 points and grabbing nine rebounds. The Terps took a 10-point lead to close the first quarter, 27-17, and led by at least eight points for the remainder of the game. Maryland opened the second half with back-to-back three-pointers by Benzan and Chloe Bibby to balloon the lead to 16 points at 55-39. Maryland shot 59 percent from the floor while holding Delaware to just 36. The Terps also controlled the glass, 40-36. The Terps are 17-0 all-time in NCAA Tournament First Round games under Frese. Delaware (24-8), the CAA Champions, were led by Jasmine Dickey, who scored 31 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Brenda Frese's Take Well, that was Maryland Basketball. That was a lot of fun. I think you saw sitting on the last two weeks, we were more than prepared and more than ready to come out with such a competitive group. I thought we set the tone early, just being extremely unselfish, sharing the basketball. We were able to go through Angel, I thought, early to kind of set that presence, but then just really things opened up inside out, being able to kick for threes and really just sharing the basketball. Our crowd was a big-time X factor. I hope they'll come out again on Sunday because it was electric here in XFINITY, and just a fun game to play and see how seamless they made a great team like Delaware play." Breaking Down The Action
The Terps started hot from the field, shooting 67% over the first six minutes of the game, taking a 19-11 lead with 3:58 remaining in the first quarter. A layup by Owusu with time winding down in the opening frame gave Maryland its largest lead of the quarter, as it held a 27-17 lead after one. Reese scored 11 points in the first quarter alone.
Benzan knocked down three three-pointers in the second quarter, with her third coming from just a step inside the logo. Overall, the Terps and Blue Hens both scored 22 points in the second quarter as Owusu's last-second basket was matched by Dickey's.
A 10-0 run by Maryland midway through the third quarter lifted its lead to 67-46, as free throws by Owusu and Benzan and two buckets Chloe Bibby extended the Delaware deficit. The Terps would take an 80-56 lead after outsourcing Delaware 31-17 in the third quarter.
The fourth quarter was in Maryland's favor as well, as it outscored the Blue Hens 22-15, holding Delaware to its lowest scoring output of the game.
Double-Figure Update
Owusu (24 points) scored in double-figures for the twentieth time this season.
Miller (23 points) scored in double-figures for the 15th time this season and 55th time in her career.
Benzan (17 points) hit double-figures for the 95th time in her career and 13th time this season.
Reese (15 points) has scored in double-figures in 26 of 30 games – nine of the last 10 – this season and now has 34 career games in double-figures.
Bibby (11 points) hit double-figures for the 19th time this season and 70th time in her career.
Terp Tidbits
Over the last four seasons, the Terps are 67-3 when they score 80 points or more.
The Terps are 581-137 (.810) all-time in College Park, dating back to the inaugural 1971-72 season.
Maryland is 287-42 (.873) at home under Brenda Frese, whose first season in College Park was the inaugural season of XFINITY Center. That is among the top 10 toughest places to play in the country.
Tournament History
The Terps are 49-27 (.644) all-time in the NCAA Tournament. In their 16 appearances under head coach Brenda Frese, the Terrapins are 37-15 (.712). Frese has led the Terrapins to nine Sweet Sixteens, six Elite Eights, three Final Fours and the 2006 NCAA Championship.
The Terrapins have earned a top-four seed 21 times in their 29 NCAA Tournament appearances and 14 times in head coach Brenda Frese's 20 postseasons.
The Terps are now 18-3 all-time in First Round Games and 17-0 in First Round games under Frese.
Maryland is now 25-5 all-time in NCAA Tournament games in College Park and 19-4 in NCAA Tourney games at the XFINITY Center.
Series History
This was the 14th meeting between Maryland and Delaware and the first in the NCAA Tournament. The Terps are now a perfect 14-0 in the series.
Brenda Frese is 7-0 vs. the Blue Hens.
The Terrapins won the last meeting - in the regular season, 99-55, in College Park on Nov. 17, 2019.
Up Next
Maryland will take on the No. 12 seed Florida Gulf Coast Eagles on Sunday after FCGU knocked off No. 5 Virginia Tech earlier on Friday. The game time and television information will be available on umterps.com and @TerpsWBB on Twitter.