After 263 days without competitive action, No. 12 Maryland is set to open up its 50th season tomorrow in the Beach Bubble Showcase as they go up against Davidson College at 2:30 p.m.
The Terps have won 17 straight games dating back to March 8, 2020, when they beat Ohio State to win their fourth Big Ten championship in six years.
Head Coach Brenda Frese and the Terps have won 10 consecutive season-opening games as they look to keep that trend going in Estero, Florida.
The Terps lost many irreplaceable talents from last year’s team including: Kaila Charles, Stephanie Jones, Blair Watson, Taylor Mikesell, Shakira Austin, Sara Vujacic and Olivia Owens.
However, Frese and the Terps brought in a trio of transfers with extensive experience. Forward Chloe Bibby, guard Katie Benzan and forward Mimi Collins all bring veteran leadership.Not to mention, Maryland added more new faces as well with redshirt freshman guard Zoe Young, guard Taisiya Kozlova and guard Angel Reese who was the No. 2 overall player in the 2020 recruiting class by ESPN. Reese is also the highest-ranked recruit in program history.
Meanwhile, it has been 266 days since the Wildcats last took the court in the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament in a 58-52 loss against Virginia Commonwealth University.
The Wildcats are looking to build on their success from the past two seasons. They haven’t had three consecutive seasons with a winning record since they did so in five consecutive seasons from 2003-04 to 2007-08, according to Davidson athletics. The Wildcats will be searching for a tone-setting season-opening win against a Power Five opponent. Reigning A-10 Rookie of the Year Suzi Rose-Deegan returns after leading last year’s team averaging 15.9 points and 7.7 rebounds per game.
In addition to Rose-Deegan, seniors Katie Turner and Sarah Donovan bring a high basketball IQ and well-rounded leadership for a young Wildcats roster. Last season, Turner was named to the A-10 All-Third Team for the second consecutive season, while she also became the 21st player in program history to reach 1,000 points. Also, before a significant back injury last season, Donovan started 12 games averaging 11.4 points and 8.6 rebounds finishing as the team’s leading rebounder.
After squaring off against the Wildcats, the Terps will finish out the showcase facing off against No. 24 Missouri State on Saturday and No. 14 Arkansas on Sunday.
