Diamond Miller, Maryland hit a higher gear for a third straight Sweet 16 trip

That layup led to many extra. The second-team all-American attacked the rim ferociously as she helped the Terps rally from a halftime deficit for a 77-64 victory over seventh-seeded Arizona within the second spherical of the NCAA event, sending Maryland to its third consecutive Candy 16.

“Your all-American does what she’s presupposed to do,” Coach Brenda Frese stated. “I believed, the third quarter, it was Miller time. … Like we’ve seen Diamond accomplish that many instances on this constructing, [she] simply willed her staff, and I believed it began together with her protection, the affect she was making there, to her offense. That they had no reply for her.”

The Terps (27-6), the No. 2 seed within the Greenville (S.C.) 1 Area, erased a subpar second quarter with a dominant third. On Saturday, they’ll face third-seeded Notre Dame, which edged No. 11 seed Mississippi State, 53-48, earlier Sunday in South Bend, Ind. A Miller buzzer-beater lifted the Terps previous the host Preventing Irish, 74-72, on Dec. 1.

Prime-seeded and undefeated South Carolina additionally superior to the regional semifinals by routing eighth-seeded South Florida, 76-45. No. 4 UCLA or No. 5 Oklahoma, who meet Monday in Los Angeles, would be the reigning nationwide champion’s subsequent opponent.

Miller did slightly little bit of every little thing Sunday as Maryland seemed to run at each alternative — after makes or misses. She completed with 24 factors, seven assists, six rebounds and three steals. Along with her staff up by 20 halfway by the fourth quarter, the senior compelled a leap ball to yield an Arizona turnover. The gang erupted as she turned upcourt and pointed her lengthy arms to sign that it was Maryland’s ball.

Sunday was in all probability Miller’s final time taking part in a university recreation at Xfinity Middle; she is predicted to be a lottery decide within the WNBA draft. As she checked out for the ultimate time, she put her arms on her hips and exhaled, then gave Frese a bear hug on her approach to the bench. A crowd waited to offer Miller a standing ovation as she walked to the tunnel following a short TV interview.

“It was a number of feelings,” she stated. “I used to be so completely satisfied that we’re going to the Candy 16 once more and it’s like, this may very well be my final time taking part in right here, too — which can also be, like, wow, 4 years go by so shortly. After which when it’s your final residence recreation, you’re like, ‘Wait, what does that imply?’ So, yeah, it was positively a surreal second.”

Shyanne Sellers additionally left her fingerprints all around the recreation with 15 factors, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and two blocks regardless of coping with foul hassle. Brinae Alexander chipped in 12 factors off the bench. Religion Masonius (12 factors) scored in double figures for the third straight recreation after going 11 in a row with out doing so, and he or she was a difference-maker on protection, too.

“Setting the tone defensively is large for us,” Sellers stated. “It results in our offense, so bringing that vitality, making groups really feel uncomfortable from the leap can actually set the tone and lay a path for the remainder of the sport. Clearly we laid off within the second quarter, which was not what we wished to do, however simply actually setting the tone early actually establishes the way you’re going to dictate the sport and also you need to be the dictator, not being dictated.”

Maryland took management of the sport within the third quarter, opening with a 19-4 run capped by a Sellers layup off a fairly help from Miller. Arizona (22-10) had outscored the Terps 25-15 within the second quarter, however Maryland swarmed on protection within the third, outscoring the Wildcats 29-9 and cruising the remainder of the way in which. The Terps’ 78.6 p.c capturing was their finest in any quarter this season.

Arizona shot 3 for 15 (20 p.c) within the quarter. Cate Reese completed with 19 factors; Shaina Pellington added 13.

Maryland likes to “punch first” and make its opponent name the primary timeout. The Terps achieved precisely that with a 12-2 opening run, compelling Arizona to name a timeout after it fell behind 6-0. The Wildcats turned the ball over on their first three possessions, and Maryland took a 17-8 lead into the second quarter.

That interval was a unique story. A 3-pointer by Abby Meyers with 7:16 left gave Maryland a 25-14 lead, however the recreation had already begun to show. Sellers had checked out after committing her second foul with 7:49 to go, and the Terps would go almost 4 minutes with out scoring after Meyers’s bucket. Arizona strung collectively 10 straight factors in that stretch, capitalizing on poor shot choice by Maryland and getting out in transition after these misses.

Arizona took its first lead at 31-29 and went into halftime with a 33-32 edge. The Wildcats shot a blistering 63.2 p.c within the second quarter, however Miller and the remainder of the Terps had different plans for the second half.

Arizona Coach Adia Barnes pointed to lapses within the Wildcats’ protection that led to their hopes fading within the third quarter.

“We didn’t have self-discipline and a way of urgency in that third quarter, and I don’t know why,” she stated. “I believe simply perhaps us not with the ability to get the stops, we misplaced slightly little bit of confidence.”