COLUMBUS, OH — After an effective start, No. 8 Maryland desperately needed an offensive spark in the second half of Thursday night’s matchup against No. 12 Ohio State.
Free throws from Saylor Poffenbarger had helped Maryland claw within two possessions as three minutes remained in the game. The Terps, down two of their usual suspects, needed someone to make shots in order to complete a late comeback. But the unusual suspects weren’t able to do so.
Kaylene Smikle missed two open baskets and a pair of free throws. Additional misses from Christina Dalce and Allie Kubek added to the late futility and ended any chance of a comeback. The Terps ultimately slumped to a 74-66 defeat against Ohio State.
“I’m encouraged. We didn’t even have our full roster on display,” Frese noted after the game. “We fought and we battled for 40 minutes… [but] having a short bench really showed.”
Maryland’s (16-3, 6-2 Big Ten) lineup had a particularly unfamiliar complexion on Thursday.
After the team announced that Bri McDaniel would miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL, the Terps were dealt another blow in Monday’s loss to No. 7 Texas. Star guard Shyanne Sellers sprained her right knee in that contest and is currently considered day-to-day.
The pair of injuries to two of Maryland’s top three scorers left it significantly shorthanded ahead of the road showdown at No. 12 Ohio State (18-1, 7-1 Big Ten).
In Sellers’ absence, Frese chose to open the game with a taller lineup than usual, playing Allie Kubek, Saylor Poffenbarger, and Christina Dalce from the initial tip. That trio, alongside the steady guard pair of Sarah Te-Biasu and Kaylene Smikle, played all of the opening eight minutes and 30 seconds for Maryland. It proved immensely effective early on.
The Terps unsurprisingly dominated the glass in their first-quarter configuration, outrebounding the Buckeyes 17-6.
With that advantage, Maryland limited the Buckeyes to just two second-chance points while accruing 10 of its own, forcing Ohio State to shoot the ball perfectly if it wanted to keep pace. Thus, when the Buckeyes went 1-for-7 to end the quarter, Maryland easily embarked on a 9-2 run that extended its lead to 12.
But perhaps more unexpectedly, the Terps’ playmaking didn’t seem to take a dent without Sellers — their most efficient shot-creator. Maryland’s first four baskets all came from an assist, with ball movement helping Maryland punish the gaps in Ohio State’s defense.
“We were trying to play to our strengths,” Frese said. “We did a tremendous job getting on the glass. And then… with limited guard play, for us to be able to go draw more fouls on them, I thought that was huge.”
Entering the second quarter, Ohio State attempted to stymie Maryland’s offense with a full-court press. Time and again, though, Te-Biasu and Smikle found the outlet passes to alleviate the pressure, with Christina Dalce free directly under the basket to make multiple completely uncontested layups.
Maryland’s growing pains sunk in as the second quarter progressed, though. The Terps committed seven turnovers in the period and scored just two points — free throws from Mir McLean — in the final five and a half minutes, allowing Ohio State to hang in the contest.
Maryland made six of its first seven shots following the break, keeping Ohio State at arm’s length to open the third quarter. But calamity struck soon after.
The full-court press Ohio State had unsuccessfully employed during the first half returned in full force. The Buckeyes made adjustments on the back half to more effectively blanket Maryland’s passing options. As a result, the Terps turned the ball over six times in three minutes, including a trio of consecutive turnovers while attempting to get the ball past midcourt.
“They decided to ramp up their physicality, and we didn’t handle it,” admitted Frese. “We had to try to find a way to play through that. There were a lot more turnovers, and I think fatigue played into that.”
That stretch helped fuel a 15-0 Ohio State run, which gave the Buckeyes their first lead of the game with three minutes remaining in the third.
The Buckeyes, galvanized by their momentum, continued swarming Maryland relentlessly.
Frustrated by its lack of depth, the Terps were hardly able to make a change to stem the bleeding. Dalce, Te-Biasu, and Poffenbarger played the entire third quarter.
The fatigue that those minutes created — four Maryland starters had at least 34 minutes, with Sarah Te-Biasu playing the entire game — saw the offense fizzle out. The Terps made just one basket in a nine-minute stretch that spanned into the fourth quarter, allowing Ohio State’s run to balloon to 26-5.
With six minutes left in the game, Saylor Poffenbarger finally hit a midrange jumper to end the streak, but the damage was done. The Terps were still down by nine, an insurmountable deficit given their losses.
“[We have] a really mature group,” Frese asserted. “They’ve all been through adversity in their careers, and they know how to ride the ups and downs of the long season. I know they’ll stay focused and continue to control what they can control.”
After consecutive demoralizing defeats, Maryland will cap the week in even tougher fashion. The Terps host undefeated, No. 1 UCLA in a marquee Sunday matinee. Daniel Stein and Ryan Martin will have the call for WMUC Sports.
