Addi Mack’s explosive second half for No. 20 Maryland women’s basketball wasn’t enough to complete the improbable comeback against No. 1 South Carolina.
Maryland looked completely outmatched in the first half and trailed by as much as 31 points early in the third quarter. But Mack came alive, along with Maryland’s 3-point shooting, and the Terps brought the game within six points with less than a minute to go. However, against the best in the nation, it wasn’t enough.
The Terps fell, 101-93, to South
Carolina in Paris to kick off head coach Brenda Frese’s 25th season at the helm. Mack’s heroic display didn’t go unnoticed.
She had 31 points in the final 20 minutes, and the Terps shot 9-for-15 from 3-point range while outscoring the Gamecocks, 60-40, in the second half.
“Addi put the team on her back,” Frese said.
The ultimate difference was the mismatch in the paint. South Carolina scored 52 points in the paint compared to Maryland’s 34 and outrebounded the Terps, 44-36. They also attempted 26 free throws compared to Maryland’s 21.
Those efforts helped South Carolina start with its foot on the gas. The Gamecocks made their first seven field goal attempts to mount a quick 24-5 lead. They continued their scoring frenzy through the end of the first quarter, leading 33-14 at the break.
Nunu Agara led the way for the Terps in the first quarter with seven points. However, Agara struggled against South Carolina’s size and fouled out with seven minutes left in the fourth quarter. She finished with just 12 points on 4-for-11 shooting.
Maryland cut the lead down to 12 after a 10-2 run to open the second quarter. Freshman Trinity Jones scored six of the 10 points after knocking down a 3-pointer, layup and a free throw.
But that momentum was short-lived. The Gamecocks took control of the game yet again after finishing the first half on a 21-6 run that gave them a 61-33 halftime lead. South Carolina capitalized on the size advantage it had over Maryland; It finished the first half with 34 points in the paint.
Maryland struggled to hold onto the ball and totaled 13 turnovers. The Gamecocks finished the first half with 21 points off turnovers and 25 transition points.
As soon as the second half started, Mack took over. She scored the Terps’ first 12 points while going 5-for-5 from the field. She added five more points before the end of the third quarter and 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting in the fourth quarter.
Freshmen Jones and Jordyn Jackson gave Mack some help with two important 3-pointers down the stretch. Bri McDaniel was Maryland’s second-highest scorer with nine points in the second half.
“I’m really proud of our resiliency in the second half….I thought we showed a mentality [that] I’m really excited about,” Frese said.
Oluchi Okananwa added help defensively with two steals. She finished the game with 11 points on 5-for-14 from the field and added two steals on defense.
“The game isn’t over until the shot clock is at zero,” Okananwa said. “We either feel sorry for ourselves…or we can play the way we know we were supposed to play.”
Three things to know
1. Mack is poised for a big season: The sophomore played 33 minutes and dominated in the second half en route to a career-high 33 points. Mack quarterbackedhad the reins of the offense in the second half and finished with 31 points and 5 assists, –including a beauty of a behind-the-back pass to Rainey Welson. Frese told ESPN that she expects a big leap from Mack.
2. Maryland has a lot of work to do in the paint. Maryland opted to start a four-guard lineup and maintained the set for most of the game. Both Agara and freshman forward Mimi Thiero were in foul trouble for most of the game. They relied on freshmen guards Jones and Jordyn Jackson to handle the paint for much of the fourth quarter. Maryland will have to find ways to remedy its struggles in the paint going forward.
3. Fast tempo. Maryland was at its best when it was getting out in transition and finding quick shots. Before the season, Mack talked about how she was excited to see how the team could use their athleticism and speed to play fast. Fans saw a glimpse of that in the second half when the Terps averaged two shots a minute. The Terps also used their length to force 10 turnovers in the second half and turned them into 18 points.
