It’s March, and the postseason has begun.
After earning a double-bye, No. 15 Maryland women’s basketball begins its run in the Big Ten Tournament Friday.
The No. 4-seeded Terps face 5-seed Michigan at 2:30 p.m. in Indianapolis. The game will air on Big Ten Network.
What happened last time
Maryland hosted Michigan on Feb. 17 in hopes of snapping a three-game home losing streak. After suffering an embarrassing 20-point home loss to Nebraska in its most recent game, Maryland was in dire need of a win.
The Terps fell down early, as Michigan’s star freshmen duo of Olivia Olson and Syla Swords took full advantage of a sluggish Maryland start. The Wolverines ended the first quarter with a seven-point lead.
Maryland got into a groove during the second quarter and cut the deficit to two at the half. The Terps displayed a balanced scoring attack against Michigan, as six different players scored five or more points in the first half. That continued throughout the night.
Maryland claimed the lead in the third quarter off big performances from Sarah Te-Biasu and Saylor Poffenbarger, allowing for a measly one-point lead heading into the final 10 minutes.
Shyanne Sellers and Te-Biasu took charge with a combined 17 of Maryland’s 25 points in the fourth quarter to help the Terps pull away from the Wolverines late and secure the win, 85-77.
Te-Biasu led the way with 21 points, followed by Sellers and Poffenbarger, who scored 18 and 12, respectively.
Mir McLean also contributed with nine points, while Kaylene Smikle sat through most of the fourth quarter.
What’s happened since
Maryland finished the regular season strong, winning its final three games, two of which came on the road. The Terps also took down then-No. 12 Ohio State, 93-90, in overtime in a regular season finale thriller on a game-winning shot by Te-Biasu.
The injury bug continued to daunt the Terps, though. Poffenbarger suffered an ankle injury in the next game against Northwestern and has yet to return. Her status for the conference tournament is still unclear and she was not a full participant in Maryland’s final practice before heading to Indianapolis.
Michigan won two of its final three regular season games, falling only to Iowa at home. In their final regular season game, the Wolverines went on the road and claimed a crucial win at Illinois, earning them the No. 5-seed.
On Thursday, Michigan took down Washington, 66-58, on the back of 21 points from Olivia Olson in its first game of the tournament.
Three things to watch
1. Welcome to March. The most exciting time of the season has arrived, with the conference tournament in full effect and the NCAA Tournament quickly approaching. Every game from here on out should be considered a must-win.
“Here we are,” head coach Brenda Frese said. “It’s a new season, and you have to come out and play your best 40 minutes. We understand that you win, you advance. You lose, you go home. We want to take this as far as we can.”
2. How healthy are the Terps? Over the last two games, Poffenbarger was sidelined. While the injury initially looked scary, it will not end her season. That being said, it is unclear if she will return for the conference tournament or will wait until the national tournament.
3. Can the Terps stay hot? The Terps finished the regular season with their best stretch since their 14-0 start to the season. They have won six of their last seven games, defeating five Big Ten Tournament teams.
