COLLEGE PARK, MD — Midway through the third quarter, Allie Kubek tried to force a pass inside to Ava McKennie. A Mount Saint Mary’s defender swatted the ball out to the corner, and Kubek was first to retrieve. On the second time of asking, the ball ended up in McKennie’s hands.
Pausing to assess her options, the freshman faked high and went low. McKennie worked to her left, blowing past a defender and hooking in a tough layup with her non-dominant left hand.
McKennie’s resilient basket was part of a complete performance in which all 10 Terps who entered the court got on the scoreboard. The deep offensive attack propelled Maryland to an 87-52 victory over Mount St. Mary’s (0-6) on Tuesday evening.
After eight straight games with the same starting lineup, Maryland (9-0) coach Brenda Frese made a change on Tuesday night. She brought Saylor Poffenbarger into the starting five after her pair of double-double performances this past weekend.
“We have seven starters,” Frese asserted while explaining the lineup change. “Nothing’s set this season. We’re gonna go with the players that are giving us the effort and the energy.”
Despite the change, Poffenbarger’s addition made less of an early impact than Frese likely hoped.
The game got off to a slow start, with each team scoring four points through the same number of minutes. A quick timeout and reach to the bench from Frese helped spark the run Maryland was desperately looking for.
With Mir McClean, Christina Dalce and Bri McDaniel checked into the game, the Terps scored 11 of the next 15. Dalce, who worked off the bench for the first time this season, led the run with five points and finished the game with a team-high 13.
“I just went in with an open mind,” Dalce said. “Whatever happens tonight, it is for the team at the end of the day. I was glad I was able to perform the way I did to help the team get the win.”
Still, though, Maryland’s first quarter was uncharacteristically slow. The Terps shot 4-for-13 from the field, a far cry from their season average of 50.9 percent, which ranked fifth in the nation. They also committed six turnovers, three of which came from travels.
“I was disappointed, clearly, with our start. I think we need to set the tone early and be a lot more aggressive, and I really wanted to make the point there,” Frese said. “It’s [about] understanding the standard we want to play at, and especially on the defensive end, we’re trying to get better every time we step out on the floor.”
After the first frame, the Terps regained control of the game, thanks in part to the Mountaineers’ audacious shot choices and eight second-quarter turnovers.
A driving layup through contact from Shyanne Sellers halfway through the second headlined a 17-2 quarter-opening run for Maryland. The Terps used the period to regain their offensive mojo. Allie Kubek led the charge with six points during that stretch, ultimately finishing the game with 12.
With momentum tilted firmly in its favor, Maryland came out for the second half and solidified a hold on the game.
Again, an early-quarter run propelled the Terps — this time, a 9-2 swing across the opening four minutes. Despite allowing the Mountaineers to shoot nearly 50 percent from the field in the quarter — as the teams traded baskets down the stretch — Maryland was able to extend its lead.
A Mount St. Mary’s team that was averaging just 48.6 points per game, seventh-bottom in Division I, was able to put up over 50 points against the Terps. However, Maryland never looked panicked across the final half hour.
On a night in which usual suspect Kaylene Smikle scored just ten points from eight shots, the Terps saw five players get into double figures. Additionally, no Terp garnered more than 29 minutes, with Frese happy to distribute the load.
Tuesday night’s win helped the Terps enter Big Ten play undefeated for the first time since the 2018-19 season. They travel to West Lafayette, Indiana, for a matchup with Purdue on Saturday.
“As we head to conference play, we know it’s gonna get a lot more difficult,” Frese admitted. “[With] nine teams being ranked and two more receiving votes, there’s not gonna be any off nights that you can have in conference. We’re looking forward to the start.”
