By Justin Fitzgerald
Although Maryland was up 38-27 at halftime, Indiana had done two things necessary to have a shot at an upset. The Hoosiers had contained both Shartori Walker-Kimbrough and Briona Jones, who shot a combined 2-9 from the field in the first half.
But in the third quarter, both players took over. After Indiana cut Maryland’s lead to 41-34, the Terps went on a 29-5 run to take a 70-39 lead at the end of the quarter. The run propelled the fifth ranked Terrapins (19-2, 8-1) to an 86-63 victory over Indiana (13-9, 5-5).
After being held to just three shots in the first half, Jones made four field goals and had ten points in the third quarter alone. During that span she became the 31st player in program history to score 1,000 points, reaching the mark on an and-one with 6:51 left in the third. Jones was also a force on the glass, grabbing twelve rebounds.
“She started to get a mindset that she was unstoppable, which we know she is,” head coach Brenda Frese said.
Walker-Kimbrough scored seven of the team’s first 11 points, but like Jones was held scoreless in the second quarter. After Indiana cut the lead to seven, the two players scored or assisted on Maryland’s next six field goals.
But Maryland’s leading scorers weren’t the only ones to struggle in the first half, as Tyra Buss failed to get in a rhythm for Indiana. She shot just 3-8 from the field, and finished with 13 points on 5-12 shooting. Buss, who came in averaging 18.8 points a game, failed to get many good looks and only went to the foul line three times, which ties her lowest total this season.
Indiana came out ready to play and got out to an early 5-4 lead, but the Terps held the Hoosiers scoreless for the next six and a half minutes and went on a 15-1 run. Indiana kept it close in the second quarter, but Brene Moseley provided a spark off the bench. Moseley had 13 of her 16 points in the first half, including a buzzer beater to end the first quarter.
The win keeps Maryland tied for first in the Big Ten, along with Ohio State. The Terps will look for their eighth straight win when they travel to Purdue on Tuesday.
