INDIANAPOLIS, IN — Sarah Te-Biasu had a pretty good day Sunday. 

But coming off a game-winning shot that injected belief into the Terps, Te-Biasu was largely a witness while her team slipped into a second-quarter hole. With time, though, the graduate guard reached deep for a little bit more magic and willed Maryland forward.

One three-pointer landed, then another, and another, and one more for good measure.

Led by Te-Biasu’s sixteen points, Maryland stormed back, cutting Michigan’s lead to one. Yet it just was not meant to be for the Terps on Friday. 

Maryland slumped to a 98-71 defeat against No. 4 Michigan in Indianapolis, crashing out of the Big Ten Tournament in the quarterfinals for the second time ever while allowing the most points of their season. 

“I’m disappointed we came out as flat as we did, it can’t happen in March,” head coach Brenda Frese said. “I felt like we couldn’t buy a bucket to start that first quarter… but [I’m proud] that we stuck together, chose to fight.”

Entering the game, the Terps (23-7, 13-6 Big Ten) were buoyed by the presence of Saylor Poffenbarger on the court for warmups. The Arkansas transfer was questionable Friday but entered less than a minute into the game. 

And yet, through the opening minutes, Poffenbarger was not the primary injury concern for Maryland. 

Shyanne Sellers has played through an injury since the Terps played Texas on Jan. 20. Her brace has been an ever-present element for the Terps down the stretch; so, too, has the sight of Sellers on the floor due to reaggravations. 

On Friday, “Senior Shy” seemed off from the beginning. Sellers looked a step slow on both ends, unable to facilitate effectively and missing her habitual defensive intensity. 

And with Sellers playing impacted, the Terps had their worst first quarter of the season.

Michigan (22-9, 12-7 Big Ten) throttled Maryland, scoring 21 unanswered points in the final 6:20 of the first quarter. The Terps surrendered open looks across the floor, but it didn’t matter — the Wolverines wouldn’t have missed anyways. 

Michigan finished the quarter 11-for-16 from the field and 5-for-8 from behind the arc. 

Offensively, Maryland committed nine turnovers, allowing the Wolverines to throttle them in transition every time. With Sellers’ mobility seriously limited, her role as the deep playmaker on offensive sets left her stranded as the Wolverines went the other way. 

The buzzer sounded at the end of the first frame with the scoreboard reading 27-6 in favor of the Wolverines. Maryland had more turnovers (nine) than points – it appeared that the Terps’ dismal start had ended the game before it even really began. However, Frese’s fighters had become accustomed to adversity during the regular season. 

Sarah Te-Biasu broke a nearly nine-minute scoreless streak for the Terps with 7:43 remaining in the second quarter. She also ended the Michigan run at 25-0, and suddenly, the entire complexion of the game switched.

Maryland put the ball through the net on thirteen consecutive possessions, getting its own 16-point unanswered streak in the middle of a 29-5 run. Frese dialed up pressure in the half court, and to great success. The Terps forced seven Michigan turnovers in the second quarter, hindering the transition attack that had been so effective. 

“We had to figure out a way and be able to get our energy and effort back on the defensive end,” Frese said. “I loved what it was able to spark, the pride. But it took a lot out of us.”

The Terps narrowed the game to a one-point affair, with all the momentum on their side. But as time ran out in the first half, Jordan Hobbs hit a monumental triple that signaled an abrupt end to the Maryland run. 

Maryland hoped to replicate its second-quarter performance in the third; that period ended up looking far more like the first though. 

After a second quarter in which the Terps fizzed, Maryland returned to the court flat. Sellers’ greatest contribution to the cause was an intentional foul on Swords, where the senior seemed to lash out with an elbow in frustration while guarding the ball. Sellers was pulled after that play and did not return.

“She had a tough night on both ends of the floor,” Frese said. “She was losing her poise and her composure, so I just wanted to go with the energy and the defense.”

Sellers finished the game with two points, as did Allie Kubek; Smikle ended with 10. 14 points from three players who average 41 points a game between them sank any chance for Maryland. The Terps were outscored 28-12 in the game’s most critical quarter.

With the usual suspects struggling, the Terps rolled out a fourth-quarter starting five of Te-Biasu, Emily Fisher, Ava McKennie, Mir McLean, and Christina Dalce. 

“Despite everything, our bench really showed up and showed out. They gave everything that they could, especially on the big stage,” Dalce said. “That’s all you can ask for at the end of the day. They tried their best.”

Even the comparatively in-form players wavered as the Wolverines’ started coasting. Michigan finished the game shooting 61% from the field and 52% from three. It was a team effort, too. The Wolverines tallied 28 assists, and three players — Hobbs (23), Syla Swords (22) and Olivia Olson (20) — nearly combined to outscore the Terps on their own.

“I don’t know [what happened]. In the locker room, we were 100% motivated,” Dalce said. “I think we got too comfortable in the third quarter… I think we took our opponent for granted a little bit.”

Maryland was on the edge of potentially hosting a regional game in the NCAA Tournament. However, this loss likely ended those chances. Now, Frese’s Terps have some soul-searching to do as they await Selection Sunday.