No. 9 Maryland women’s basketball won its first four games, but it will face its toughest test yet on Sunday in Princeton.
The game is slated for 1 p.m. from Xfinity Center, as Maryland fans will embrace
their inner “Life of a ShowTerp.” The contest will be broadcast on Big Ten Plus.
Princeton Tigers (2-0, 0-0 Ivy League)
2024-25: 21-8, 12-2 Ivy League
Head coach Carla Berube is in her seventh season with Princeton, and has led the Tigers to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. Berube has also ushered the Tigers to four Ivy League championships and three Ivy League Tournament championships.
Last season, Princeton made the NCAA Tournament with an at-large bid for a mid-major program and have fired on all cylinders to begin the season. The Tigers took down two power programs on the road, beating former Maryland assistant coach Karen Blair’s Georgia Tech and Villanova.
“[Princeton’s] a really good team that’s coming in with a ton of experience, really disciplined team, upperclassmen, they know how to play the right way,” head coach Brenda Frese said.
Players to watch
Skye Belker, junior guard, 5-foot-9, No. 10 — Belker is in her third season with the Tigers, and has started all but one game in her career. Last season, she was named second team All-Ivy and Ivy All-Tournament team. She averaged 13.0 points, 2.1 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game. In two games this season, she’s scored a combined 18 points, two rebounds and five assists.
Ashley Chea, junior guard, 5-foot-8, No. 13 — Chea is in her third season with the Tigers, becoming a true scoring option last season. Last season, she was named first team All-Ivy after averaging 12.6 points, 3.6 assists and 3.2 rebounds. So far this season, Chea has amassed 22 points, six assists and three rebounds through two games.
Fadima Tall, junior guard/forward, 6-foot-1, No. 5 — Tall is tied for the third-tallest player on Princeton’s roster, and she has been a lead contributor so far this year. Through two games she’s scored 37 points and notched 22 rebounds. Last season, she was awarded second team All-Ivy honors after averaging 10.6 points and 6.3 rebounds.
Strength
Shooting. Last season, Princeton shot 46.1% from the field and averaged 25.6 field goals per game. Princeton also shot 34.2% from beyond the arc, making more 3-pointers than its opponents. Returning many key contributors, the Tigers look to maintain their high shooting clip. Despite shooting worse than its opponents over the first two games at 38.9% and 23.9% from deep, respectively, Princeton could certainly regroup on the shooting end Sunday.
Weakness
Turnovers. Last season, Princeton turned the ball over 14.6 times per game, compared to opponents averaging 14.4 turnovers. So far, the Tigers have held a strong turnover margin — opponents have turned the ball over 17 more times, and Princeton’s average has gone down. The Terps have proven to be good at forcing turnovers, which should test the Tigers.
Three things to know
1. First true test. Maryland will go into Sunday with a four-game winning streak and ready to face its toughest competition yet. Still, the Terps are far from polished, not playing its best down the stretch Thursday against Towson. Against a stronger opponent in Princeton, the Terps may have to dig deep in a battle that could come down to the final seconds.
2. Injury issues. Lea Bartelme will most likely not see the lineup on Sunday after suffering a non-contact knee injury Thursday. She has been a key contributor early and started every game. However, Kaylene Smikle returned Thursday and could slide into that starting role.
3. Long home stand. Sunday will be Maryland’s fifth home game of a seven-game home stand to start the season. The Terps will once again have a helpful home-court advantage, but it remains to be seen if they could face some problems in their first games outside of College Park.
