Maryland suffered its second loss of the season on the road at the hands of Ohio State in a Big Ten battle. The Buckeyes defeated the Terps, 88-86, to snap Maryland’s 10-game win streak on the season and 24-game win streak against Big Ten opponents.
“We always have great battles with Ohio State,” Head Coach Brenda Frese said. “Both teams always bring out the best out of each other.”
Maryland was coming off an eight-day layoff heading into this matchup, and the rust was certainly on display in the first quarter. The Terps started the game sloppy, as they turned the ball over six times in the opening quarter which led to a multitude of Buckeye fast break points. After one, Ohio State led 26-20.
Maryland turned it on defensively in the second quarter and held Ohio State to just 10 points in the frame while shooting 18% from the field. The Terps took a three point lead at the half.
After a back and forth third quarter, Maryland trailed by two entering the fourth.
The Buckeyes used a 13-2 run in the middle of the fourth to break free and build a lead too big for the Terps to overcome. Despite a late push from Maryland, which forced Ohio State to turn the ball over three times in the final two minutes, the Buckeyes made free throws down the stretch to secure the upset win.
Maryland, averaging 92 points per game as the top scoring team in the country, shot 33% from the field and 38% from the floor in the second half. The Buckeyes shot 50% from the field in the second half.
In a game that was physical and chippy throughout, Ohio State won the rebounding battle 44-38. Mimi Collins, who had 17 rebounds in the Terps last game, was less effective than usual as she finished with zero rebounds. Collins played just 16 minutes overall and her playing time in the second half was limited to three minutes.
“You can’t give us zero rebounds and three turnovers in sixteen minutes,” Frese said. “She’s very talented and she’s got to be able to, you know, bring that consistency to the table for us.”
Sophomore guard Ashley Owusu tried to will her team to victory on the offensive end. She finished with 33 points, eight assists and five rebounds. She also turned the ball over six times.
Katie Benzan made seven three-pointers to finish with 22 points. However, five of those threes came in the first half. The Buckeyes did a better job in the second half of locating Benzan and contesting her shots.
For Ohio State, sophomore guard Madison Greene led the way with 24 points and seven assists. Maryland struggled to contain her throughout the game. Jacy Sheldon also added 21 points of her own for the Buckeyes.
“We reset like we always do,” Frese said. “I mean, you come back and you evaluate.”
This was a revenge game for Ohio State after the Terps beat them in last season’s Big Ten championship. The Big Ten currently has five ranked teams, the most of any conference in the country. While the race for the Big Ten regular season title and tournament champion will be a battle, expect both these teams to be there in the end.
