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Undefeated Maryland Faces Tough Test at Illinois on New Year’s Day
Maryland women’s basketball, currently ranked No. 7 in the nation, begins the new year with a challenging road matchup against Illinois on Thursday, January 1st, at 4 p.m. ET.The game, set to be played at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois, will be televised on the Big Ten Network and streamed via the Fox Sports app.
The Terrapins (14-0,2-0 B1G) are off to their best start in nearly two decades,continuing a tradition of excellence under head coach Brenda Frese. maryland is coming off a dominant 97-59 victory over Wisconsin on Monday, fueled by a career-high 28 points from Oluchi Okananwa, alongside strong performances from Yarden Garzon and Addi Mack, who each contributed 15 points, and Saylor Poffenbarger with 14.
Maryland stands as one of only 11 undefeated teams remaining in Division I women’s basketball. This season’s 14-0 record marks the fifth time in program history the Terps have achieved such a start, trailing only their impressive 18-0 begining in the 2006-07 season. Yarden Garzon recently earned recognition for her outstanding play,being named Big Ten Player of the Week on December 22nd – her second weekly honor of the season.
Statistically,the Terrapins are a force to be reckoned with.They currently rank second nationally in rebounding margin (+16.5), tenth in scoring offense (89.3 points per game), and eighth in scoring margin (+35.6). Furthermore, Maryland is seventh in the country in free throws made per game (17.79). Individually, Okananwa and Poffenbarger are standout defenders, ranking third and fifth in the Big Ten in steals, respectively. Garzon leads the conference and is 15th nationally in three-pointers made with 39, while Mack boasts the second-highest free throw percentage in the league at 91.2%.
The Terps currently hold the No. 7 spot in the Associated Press poll and No. 6 in the USA Today Sports WBB Coaches Poll. Preseason expectations were high for Maryland, as they were selected to finish second in the Big Ten, trailing only UCLA. USC, michigan, and Ohio State rounded out the predicted top five.
The Terrapins feature a trio of 1,000-point scorers in Kaylene Smikle (1,499 points), Yarden Garzon (1,383 points), and Saylor Poffenbarger (1,040 points).
within the Big Ten, Maryland has established itself as a perennial powerhouse, holding a 225-70 all-time record against conference opponents. Since joining the league in 2014-15, the Terrapins have compiled an impressive 183-40 record against Big Ten teams, including a 22-6 mark in the Big Ten Tournament. under Coach Frese’s 24-year tenure, the Terps are 194-44 against Big Ten opponents. Frese herself boasts a career record of 208-49 against Big Ten teams, including her time at minnesota and Ball State. At home, Maryland is 84-13 against Big ten competition since 2014. The Terps consistently excel in defensive matchups, holding opponents to 70 points or less in 138 of their 144 Big ten games since joining the conference, and scoring 70 or more points in 163 of 181 contests.
Brenda Frese’s leadership has been instrumental to Maryland’s success. In her 24 seasons in College Park, she has guided the Terrapins to 621 wins, 14 conference titles, 21 NCAA tournament appearances, three Final Four berths, seven Elite Eight appearances, 12 Sweet Sixteen appearances, and the 2006 NCAA championship.Her overall coaching record stands at 678-199 over 27 years. Frese was recognized as National Coach of the Year by the AP, The Athletic, and ESPN following the 2020-21 season and was inducted into the Washington DC Metro Basketball Hall of Fame in October 2021.
Maryland has consistently been a ranked team, appearing in 601 AP polls, placing them
