The Terps rode a 25-4 second-quarter advantage to victory.
No. 18 Maryland women’s basketball regrouped well after a tough start Thursday night in its home opener.
After only leading by three at the conclusion of the first quarter, the Terps went on a 23-1 run over the final seven-and-a-half minutes of the first half to pull away from Coppin State.
The Terps rode that momentum in the second half, cruising to a 70-47 victory.
“Still taking a while to kind of get in our group with so many players and … get into that kind of game shape we want to be in. But I liked the response in the second quarter,” Maryland head coach Brenda Frese said. “Our defensive intensity picked up … just going to continue to get better, just with the more games we get under our belt.”
Kaylene Smikle led the way for Maryland with 20 points, three rebounds and one assist. Sarah Te-Biasu also had a solid performance, posting 12 points, two rebounds and three assists. Saylor Poffenbarger led Maryland with 10 rebounds, along with six points and two assists.
The Terps were 24-for-59 (40.7%) from the field, 10-for-25 (40%) from beyond the arc and 12-for-15 (80%) from the line.
The Terps early effort was once again sloppy, as Coppin State was able to stick around due to Maryland turnovers and missed shots. It went cold from 3-point range, and the Eagles were able to tie the score late in the first quarter.
Smikle’s third 3-pointer of the night on her fourth attempt was the difference in the first 10 minutes, as the rest of the team was 0-for-6 from deep.
Maryland went on a 15-0 run in the second quarter on the back of three 3-pointers to build a sizable lead. The disappointing start was no longer, as the Terps suddenly began firing on all cylinders and smothered the Eagles on defense.
“The second quarter, our intensity was really high. When we’re disrupting them and making them uncomfortable, it translates to us and makes us play easy,” Poffenbarger said. “It wasn’t anything special, but just continuing to play hard and disruptive really worked for us.”
The run of dominance continued throughout the end of the first half, as the Terps held the Eagles to just four points in the second quarter. Maryland led by 24 points at halftime.
After starting 3-11, the Terps ended the half 6-of-16 from 3-point range. Smikle led the way with 13 points, followed by Poffenbarger and Shyanne Sellers with six.
Maryland kept its momentum going to start the second half. Smikle continued her strong game, scoring six of Maryland’s first nine points out of the break. The Terps only continued to pull away and got some great looks offensively.
Maryland held a comfortable lead throughout the entirety of the second half, which allowed it to use an expanded rotation, including freshman Ava McKennie.
Coppin State forced head coach Brenda Frese to call a timeout with six minutes remaining, as the Eagles started to get hot from deep. Despite that, Maryland was still up by 30 and in full control.
The Eagles were outscoring Maryland in the fourth, as the Terps took their foot off the gas pedal, especially defensively. The Eagles even built a 6-0 run down the stretch, but the outcome was already decided.
Three things to know
1. Hot and heavy from three. The Terps were trigger happy from 3-point range, taking attempts at will Thursday night. The Terps made 10 of their 25 attempts (40%) from deep against Coppin State after going 2-18 in their opener against UMBC. From deep, Smikle was 4-of-6, Te-Biasu was 4-of-7 and Poffenbarger went 2-of-8.
“Last game, we had more post dominance and more of an inside presence. In this game, we had to throw ourselves beyond the arc. But I think we’re capable of anything,” Poffenbarger said. “Today we stepped up and made shots … keep shooting, keep getting in the flow. We still have jitters, first two games, just continuing to get the game like shots.”
2. Home sweet home. The Terps started off their 2024-25 home slate with a victory at Xfinity Center. The Terps will play three of their next four games in College Park.
3. Last tuneup. Thursday’s game against Coppin State was Maryland’s last game before the Terps truly get tested. The next two games are against ACC opponents in No. 11 Duke and Syracuse, which will show what this team is capable of.
“It’s going to obviously be a greater opponent on Sunday and they’re ranked ahead of us,” Frese said. “But these guys are really really competitive, so I’m excited for the matchup.”