EVANSTON, IL — Bringing a narrow lead into the second quarter, No. 21 Maryland women’s basketball needed a spark to pull away, and Saylor Poffenbarger delivered. The redshirt junior got her desired matchup at the top of the key, staring down Wildcat forward Grace Sullivan before driving to her left.

Poffenbarger slowed up and crossed over her defender, before feinting right and driving left, absorbing heavy contact as her finger roll layup bounced high off the glass. The swish of the net and the shriek of the whistle rang loud in a silenced Welsh Ryan Arena.

Poffenbarger’s and-one was the highlight of a run that pushed the Terps’ lead to double digits. Maryland held that lead until the fourth quarter but nearly squandered the advantage in its gritty, 85-79 victory over Northwestern (9-16, 2-12 Big Ten) on Thursday night. 

“This is what it looks like when you play a really hungry team that is trying to extend their season,” head coach Brenda Frese said. “I thought [Northwestern] played a really hard 40-minute game, especially in the second half, but disappointed in our second half.”

Both teams got off to poor shooting starts, combining to make just five field goals on 14 attempts through the opening three minutes. 

After consecutive single-digit-scoring games, improvement from Kaylene Smikle was necessary. The junior guard led all scorers with eight points in the opening quarter. Smikle reached that mark with three field goals, after making five total buckets across her previous two games.

As the opening frame neared its end, the Terps’ offense started catching fire. 

Aided by nine opening-quarter turnovers from the Wildcats, and back-to-back baskets from a surging Sarah Te-Biasu, Maryland (21-6, 11-5 Big Ten) ended the quarter shooting 50% from the field and stretched its lead to seven.

“On the road, we know that we have to play more together and come out and give teams the first punch,” Smikle stated. “Every time we’re away, we always buy into that, and we’re consistent with coming in on road games and giving the first punch.” 

Entering the second quarter, Saylor Poffenbarger and the Terps further spiked their offensive intensity.

Poffenbarger finished the quarter with a dozen points and four rebounds, making three of four baskets while also going a perfect 5-for-5 from the free throw line. 

The Arkansas transfer was also playing on a sprained ankle, which she had sustained in practice. Poffenbarger even left her dominant second frame for a short time after falling awkwardly on a contested layup. She would quickly return though. 

The Terps embarked on separate 8-0 and 7-0 runs, with Northwestern unable to consistently stop their guards from driving to the basket — both in defensive sets and transition. 

Even when shots weren’t falling for the Terps, they were able to draw contact and get to the line against a physical Wildcats team that tried to focus defensive numbers into the post.  

Despite not making a basket across the final 3:55 of the second quarter, Maryland entered the half up 48-30 — its most points in a first half since posting that same tally against Iowa on Jan. 5.

The Terps attempted to pick up where they left off in the second half. After starting well, they faded quickly. 

On Maryland’s opening possession, Smikle drove to the basket but missed a solid look. The junior grabbed her own rebound between two defenders and sank the second-chance layup for her 20th game this season scoring 15 points or more. 

But the Wildcats responded ferociously, scoring 11 unanswered points to whittle the Maryland lead down to ten at the media timeout. 

Roles were reversed, with Northwestern attacking Maryland in the post time and again. With Allie Kubek struggling and Christina Dalce earning her third foul early in the frame — and Frese choosing to leave Amari DeBerry on the bench — the Terps lacked a significant presence on the interior to counter the Wildcats.

Matters became even more calamitous for the Terps following the media stoppage. With three and a half minutes remaining in the third quarter, Poffenbarger went down with another ankle injury, this time seemingly rolling her left ankle. The junior had to be carried off the floor and did not return.

With Poffenbarger in the locker room, a different Terp needed to take the offensive mantle. Sellers responded, sinking a major three-pointer that ended a 1-for-15 shooting slump for Maryland. 

A Maryland team that began its season with depth as its strength was running on fumes towards the end of Thursday’s affair. 

Smikle picked up her third and fourth personal fouls within the first 75 seconds of the fourth quarter. Without the Rutgers transfer on the floor, the Terps fielded three players who entered the frame with two or fewer points. 

Maryland continued suffering for its fragility. 

Casual play on the inbounds withered in the face of a ferocious Northwestern press. The Wildcats, playing for their conference-tournament lives, forced 11 fouls and seven turnovers to cut the lead to four with roughly four minutes to go.

“Turnovers are costly, teams can capitale off them, and Northwestern did at the end of the game,” admitted Sellers. “We’ve got to settle down and be a little bit more poised.”

A game that had the makings of a blowout early on became a rescue act, with Maryland hanging on by the skin of its teeth. A dagger triple from Sarah Te-Biasu allowed the Terps to finish off a victory that will nevertheless leave fans with uncertainty.

The Terps have the weekend off and will travel to Indiana next Thursday. Maryland enters its final road game as one of three Big Ten teams with just one in-conference road loss; for the sake of postseason momentum, it is critical for the Terps to maintain that record.