No. 8 Maryland women’s basketball clinches share of Big Ten regular season title with impressive win over No. 12 Michigan

Photo Courtesy of Maryland Athletics

Maryland (20-ii, 16-one B1G) came out on burn down in Ann Arbor and made a argument to the Big Ten and the residue of the country in a dominant, 88-63, win over Michigan (13-iv, 8-4 B1G).

With the win over Michigan, Maryland clinched a share of the Big X regular season title for the sixth time in the terminal seven seasons and secured the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten tournament, which is scheduled to begin on March 9.

"It feels nifty [to assure at least a share of the Big X title]," Ashley Owusu said. "We lost all our v starters last yr and then to exist able to come in with a basically new team and put up the numbers and play every bit a team is dandy."

Maryland was on a mission from the opening tip confronting the Wolverines. While all season, Terp fans have seen Maryland pile on lesser opponents, head coach Brenda Frese's group proved they are up for any task. Coming into the matchup, Michigan sat right backside the Terps in the Big Ten standings in second place with just iii losses.

However, on Thursday afternoon the gap between the two teams seemed much greater than that. Maryland jumped out to an early ten-ii lead and never looked dorsum. In the first quarter, the Terps poured it in from long range, shooting 71% from the field ending the opening quarter with a fourteen-betoken advantage.

"We talked about this being our toughest game this year," Frese said. "Michigan'due south a summit 15 team. They're super, super talented, but I thought our mentality from the tip, we were ready to go."

Frese has gone to her press throughout the year in an attempt to speed up teams and create easy opportunities for her crime. Maryland's press, with Diamond Miller at the top, did just that. Michigan turned the ball over 15 times in the kickoff half, resulting in 20 Maryland points.

That tendency connected throughout every bit the Terps finished with 29 points off turnovers a season high.

"Nosotros're playing both ends of the flooring," Frese said. "Every game is going to be different. Sometimes your offense isn't going to be in that location… so the fact that nosotros're finding so many different ways to exist able to win a game, and especially on the route, is really exciting for what lies ahead."

The Terps never took their human foot off the gas in the 2d half, continuing to dominate on both ends of the floor. The No. 1 law-breaking in the state showed out in a marquee matchup between ii meridian fifteen teams in the country.

Maryland shot a whopping 70% from across the arc against the Wolverines, continuing its success from deep all season as the No. two team in the nation in 3-point percentage, on footstep to interruption the program record.

The engine behind the Terps, Owusu, led her team against the Wolverines, as she has all season. She finished with 22 points and v rebounds.

Diamond Miller chipped in with 17 points. Mimi Collins and Faith Masonius too reached double figures with ten and 12, respectively.

Subsequently a ninth straight win, Maryland will accept but 1 game left in the regular flavor earlier postseason play gets underway. The awards are kickoff to pile in for Maryland equally its historic season comes to a close.

Earlier this week, Owusu was named 1 of five finalists for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Accolade, which honors the nation's top shooting guard. Frese was also named as a semifinalist for the Naismith Bus of the Year award. She has never won the award throughout her time at Maryland.

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Source: http://wmucsports.net/no-8-maryland-womens-basketball-clinches-share-of-big-ten-regular-season-title-with-impressive-win-over-no-12-michigan/

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