No. 14 Maryland women’s basketball drops 66-65 Senior Day heartbreaker against Illinois

COLLEGE PARK, MD — With two seconds on the clock and the game on the line, it was inevitable that Shyanne Sellers would be the one to take the final shot. 

Having gotten a standing ovation — while being celebrated alongside teammates Emma Chardon, Amari DeBerry, Sarah Te-Biasu, and Christina Dalce — for the Terps’ Senior Day, “Senior Shy” — rather poetically — had an opportunity to complete the comeback. 

Sellers inbounded the ball to Allie Kubek and got it right back. From six feet off the edge of the paint, Sellers put up a baseline jumper. It first bounced off the far side of the rim, then took another deflection off the near side, before ultimately falling to the ground.

On a day that began full of celebrations, the No. 14 Terrapins fell to Illinois, 66-65. 

“I’m disappointed to not get this win here at home on Senior Day,” Frese said. “Just disappointing that we didn’t make enough plays down the stretch, and when we got stops … we just couldn’t convert it on the other end.”

Sunday’s victory marked Illinois’ (17-5, 7-4 Big Ten) first-ever win over Maryland (17-5, 7-4 Big Ten). 

“It’s mind-blowing — like how do you never beat someone?” Fighting Illini head coach Shauna Green said. “[But] we just approached this game like any other game.”  

The Terps began the game with both Dalce and DeBerry on the court, seemingly in an effort to disrupt Illinois’ Kendall Bostic. The fifth-year forward entered play sixth in Division I with 11.2 rebounds per game and also stood as Illinois’ leading-scorer on the season. 

Bostic still crashed the glass with success, but Maryland’s additional size held her without a basket for the first 18 minutes of Sunday’s contest.

Maryland ended the opening frame on a 10-2 run, which Sellers primarily engineered. More fanfare erupted between quarters, as the Xfinity Center press announcer informed the crowd that Sellers had scored her 1,500th career point.

Illinois stormed back in the second quarter, bringing itself within a score after a 9-2 run. The Terps defended well, bending but refusing to break. 

The second half started about as poorly as the Terps could imagine. 

Fifth-year guard Genesis Bryant opened an impressive individual second half by nailing a three-pointer on the opening possession. Her make gave Illinois a one-point lead. 

Seconds later, Sellers tripped over a teammate’s foot, falling to the floor in significant pain. The senior remained down, clutching at her leg for a few moments. She eventually got back to her feet before limping to the locker room under her own power. 

Despite the temporary loss, the game quickly broke Maryland’s way. 

The Terps burst into life, scoring 10 unanswered points. After just over two minutes, Sellers jogged back to the bench; a minute later, she retook her place on the court. Although she was clearly still affected by the knock, Sellers played 11 minutes in the second half and scored seven points. 

Illinois battled back on multiple occasions throughout the third frame, keeping the game a nervy, back-and-forth affair. That tension continued amplifying over the final 10 minutes.

Early in the fourth, Maryland struggled to even attempt a basket.

The Terps had a four-minute stretch where they took just three shots before Te-Biasu drained a much-needed three to put Maryland back in front, 55-54, at the final media timeout. 

Following a turnover by Illinois, Maryland got the ball with a two-point lead and two minutes on the clock. Against a dominant interior, it was Te-Biasu, the smallest player on the court, who drove straight into the paint to double the Terps’ advantage  — only for Illinois’ Berry Wallace to make a three on the next possession, cutting Maryland’s lead back to one. 

Saylor Poffenbarger was fouled by Brynn Shoop-Hill and went 1-for-2 on her free throws, giving Illinois the chance to retake the lead. Thanks to another three though — this time an atonement from Shoop-Hill — Illinois went ahead with 45 seconds remaining.

“Brynn is one of the best shooters I’ve ever coached,” Green said. “She’ll sit there and hit 30 threes in a row, but then in games sometimes she doesn’t want to take them as much, and she’s not as confident. … So it’s really cool as a coach to see her confidence growing.”

Following a miss and an Illinois timeout, the Terps heightened their defensive pressure, forcing the Fighting Illini to take three attempts at an inbounds play. On their third effort, Poffenbarger poked the ball away from Wallace, who watched it bounce off her foot and roll out of bounds. 

With the ball back, Maryland looked to Sellers, who backed into the paint and effortlessly ripped a fadeaway floater to take a one-point advantage. 

Bryant was the primary option for Illinois on its final look, but Te-Biasu committed a shooting foul with six seconds remaining to send the Fighting Illini guard to the line. Bryant made both free throws, returning a one-point lead to Illinois as she finished with a game-high 20 points. 

Sellers had two cracks at the game-winning shot but came up empty on both attempts. One fell just short while the other sailed just a couple of inches too long. 

“That was the look we wanted,” Sellers said. “It just didn’t go in.”

The Terps now turn their focus to the opposite end of the country for the upcoming week. They face Oregon in Eugene on Thursday night, before squaring off with Washington in Seattle next Sunday. Although the team was disappointed, Frese knows that the Terps’ season is far from over.

“You take a loss and you use it to fuel you for the next game,” Frese said.

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