On Friday, No. 5-seed Maryland women’s basketball traveled down to ACC territory. Head coach Brenda Frese made it clear how homey their old stomping grounds felt.
“We’ve been able to get a lot of wins here,” Frese said. “For me, it was really comfortable for our team.”
The Terps were comfortable as they dominated No. 12-seed Murray State, 99-67, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Here are three takeaways from Maryland’s statement win.
Rebounding took control
Coming into Friday, Maryland was the 18th-best rebounding
team in the nation, and Murray State was 28th. The two teams were separated by 0.5 rebounds per game.
Yet, Maryland had a commanding presence on the boards — it finished with a 30-board advantage in the game.
Murray State head coach Rechelle Turner was heard yelling at her team, “Rebound.” But the size advantage was too much for the Racers to handle. On essentially every spot on the court, the Terps had a height advantage.
Maryland’s rebounding advantage was both on the offensive and defensive ends. In the first half, it had the same amount of offensive rebounds as the Racers had total.
“Clearly we had a lot more size on them. It begins there. It also just comes down to will and a want and a desire,” Frese said. “I thought you saw that with our possessions on the glass, being able to go get extra opportunities when we would miss shots, holding them to one-and-done.”
That margin increased in the second half. The Terps would miss a shot and immediately grab the offensive board to sustain possessions. They finished with 33 second-chance points — Murray State had just five.
Mir McLean was a primary benefactor of this advantage on the offensive glass. Across most of the game, when the Terps would miss, she’d either grab the offensive board and put it up or find space and make a pass to a teammate for an easy layup.
Maryland bigs Isi Ozzy-Momodu, Saylor Poffenbarger and McLean combined for 31 of its 51 rebounds.
“It’s an emphasis for us each night. No matter who we play, we want to dominate the glass. It just builds extra possessions,” Poffenbarger said. “Especially if it’s a team like this when we know we can dominate, we want to come out, we want to punch first.”
Mir McLean had her best game as a Terp
In what could’ve been her final collegiate game, McLean had her best game in her two seasons with Maryland.
McLean spent two seasons at Virginia before coming to Maryland. As a former ACC player, it would make sense for her to have some comfort in a familiar arena.
McLean was more than comfortable in Chapel Hill Friday.
“My take is to have fun, not to put too much pressure on the game. Knowing that I am a senior and my season could end or my career could end any night, [I’m] just trying my best and being my best version of myself,” McLean said.
She finished with a 19-point, 14-rebound double-double. Whenever the Terps needed a bucket, McLean delivered.
At the end of the third quarter, Murray State converted an and-one buzzer-beater to cut the deficit to 14 – the closest the game had been since partway through the first half. If the Racers scored another bucket, the fourth quarter could have been tight.
But McLean started the final frame with an and-one, completely flipping the momentum. The Terps went on to outscore the Racers 26-8 in the fourth quarter, and that was charged by her.
“I love Mir, on and off the court. I just think it just shows she’s put in a lot of work, and just to let it show has been a blessing,” Poffenbarger said. “She’s going out strong. She has one more year. This is her last thing. Just seeing that was an art of beauty.”
Freshman guards took over
Throughout most of this season, Maryland’s offensive production has primarily come from its veteran leadership, with its freshmen occasionally providing boosts.
Two of the Terps’ freshman guards looked their best in months, particularly in the first half. Kyndal Walker and Addi Mack were major factors in the Terps building an early advantage.
Walker was incredibly confident in her shooting. She started 3-of-3 from the field — her solid mid-range game was complimented by a willingness to drive inside. That early stride helped her reach a career-high 20 points.
Mack was similarly strong, with 18 points on 6-of-13 shooting. She was the main ball-handler on the court, and during timeouts, she was even leading the huddle.
“When you talk about Kyndal and Addi, just how fearless they were, first half scoring 26 points, and overall 38 in the game for your first NCAA Tournament,” Frese said. “I thought they met the moment and they played with a ton of confidence.”
Later on, Rainey Welson got in on the fun. Maryland’s freshmen ultimately finished with 45 combined points.
“They’re fearless today. In the tournament, you can either fear the moment or embrace it,” Poffenbarger said. “They did a really great job. They are wise beyond their years.”
It was the group’s first NCAA Tournament game, but their on-court comfort never would’ve suggested it.
“Addi’s had a lot of opportunities to go out and play, and same thing for me,” Walker said. “It’s just taking it as another basketball game, not making the moment too big… We just came out ready and played hard. Once you play hard, a lot of the times you’re rewarded.”
