COLLEGE PARK, MD — With the shot clock ticking toward zero late in the first half, Shyanne Sellers saw an opportunity. Having watched freshman teammate Ava McKenzie guard Coppin State’s Niyah Gaston with skill beyond her years, Sellers peeled off her defensive assignment and poked the ball away. 

The junior took off down the other end and cut past an onrushing Eagles defender. Sellers deftly put away the layup for the Terps’ eleventh field goal without reply. 

Maryland’s late-second quarter run created vital separation between the two teams on Thursday night. The Terps rolled to a 70-47 victory over Coppin State in their home opener. 

It was also Maryland’s second-straight 20-plus point victory to start the campaign. However, head coach Brenda Frese still believes there is more to come. 

“They’re all still just trying to get their game legs under them. Watch out once they’re all [firing], because they’re nowhere near where they’re going to be. I think that’s the exciting thing,” Frese said.

Junior Kaylene Smikle got off to a hot start from the field. The Rutgers transfer and 2023 All-Big Ten Second Team member had just seven points in her Maryland debut on Monday. She hit two triples early on and finished the first quarter with 11 points, a rebound and a steal. 

As a whole, though, Maryland’s offense looked disjointed in the early going. Every Terp not named Smikle went 2-12 from the field and 0-7 from behind the arc in a drab first quarter. 

Coppin State took advantage of the open invitation and kept the contest close.

The Eagles scored off a Terps turnover with two and half minutes remaining in the first quarter. That Coppin State bucket tied the game at 12. 

Missed shots were frequent for both teams in the opening frame, which allowed each to record 9 rebounds through the first quarter. The early lull was uncharacteristic for Maryland, after it out rebounded UMBC 48-18 on Monday. 

“It’s still taking a while to get in our groove… But I like the response in the second quarter. I thought our defensive intensity picked up, the energy – we’re just building every game,” coach Frese said.

A pair of quick triples from Saylor Poffenbarger and Sarah Te-Biasu extended Maryland’s lead to eight with just under seven minutes remaining in the first half. The Terps never looked back. 

Coppin State went on a nine-minute field goal drought, fueling a 23-1 Maryland run as the Terps pushed their lead to 24 by halftime. 

And like the UMBC game, it was a team effort — seven Terps scored in the second quarter, as quick ball movement overwhelmed a wavering Eagles defense. 

Maryland’s perimeter shooting was a key factor as well. The Terps shot 60 percent from deep in the second quarter and 40 percent overall against Coppin State, a trend that satisfied the Terps’ three-point threats, including Poffenbarger.

“Last game, we had more post dominance, and more of an inside presence. [But] in this game, we had to prove ourselves beyond the arc. But I think we’re capable of anything, and I think today we stepped up and made shots,” said Poffenbarger.  

The Terps’ defensive effort was aided by the Eagles’ poor shooting, but six steals and a block helped Maryland maintain its advantage. Coppin State made two quick layups entering the second half. By that point, though, it was too late to stop the barrage. 

Led by five more points from Smikle — who finished with a game-high 20 — Maryland went on a 10-0 run in the middle of the third quarter. 

Maryland used the stretch to extend its lead to 30. The Terps kept Coppin State at arms’ length for the remainder of the game.

Having secured a comfortable lead, Frese turned to her bench for most of the fourth quarter. Maryland gave minutes to eleven players in total, seven of whom scored at least six points. 

“I do like that when we went to the bench, especially in the second quarter, there was no dropoff,” Frese said. “As the bench continues to show that they can be counted on, we want to send as many waves as we can.”

The Eagles shot just 27% from the field through the first three quarters, but went 7-14 in the fourth quarter to make the scoreline look marginally respectable. 

Maryland’s gelling over these first two games will be tested on Sunday, as the Terps host No. 10 Duke at 1:00 p.m.