Connect with us

Maryland

No. 8 Maryland women’s basketball vs. William & Mary preview

Published

on

No. 8 Maryland women’s basketball vs. William & Mary preview


No. 8 Maryland women’s basketball is back in action Thursday morning for its annual “Field Trip Day” in College Park.

Xfinity Center will have upwards of 15,000 local school children from 80 schools in the venue to see the Terps take on William & Mary.

“Hopefully the energy will help us,” head coach Brenda Frese said. “I want to soak it all up, the energy is going to be electric in the building. I want to feel that and it’s going to be a great game.”

Tip-off is slated for 11 a.m. on Big Ten Plus in what’s sure to be a raucous atmosphere in College Park.

Advertisement

William & Mary Tribe (3-7, 0-0 CAA)

2023-24 record: 15-14, 12-6 CAA

Head coach Erin Dickerson Davis is in her third season with William & Mary and has led the Tribe to impressive conference records, albeit poor nonconference showings.

William & Mary faces easily its toughest opponent of the season in No. 8 Maryland on Thursday, but no-conference play hasn’t been kind to the Tribe thus far.

Last season, the Tribe turned things around during CAA play and may do the same this year. However, William & Mary’s résumé thus far isn’t great, even in its wins. The Tribe have three victories on the season: Division II Chowan, 5-6 McNeese State and 1-12 South Carolina State.

Players to watch

Bella Nascimento, senior guard, 5-foot-8, No. 5 — Nascimento is in her second season with the Tribe after transferring from Manhattan. She is a prolific scorer, leading the team with 12.6 points per game this season.

Advertisement

Cassidy Geddes, sophomore guard, 5-foot-7, No. 1 — Geddes is in her second season with William & Mary and is averaging 7.7 points for the Tribe this year. She has started every game her sophomore season, but her scoring average has taken a dip after she averaged 9.9 points last season.

Kayla Beckwith, graduate student center, 6-foot-1, No. 3 — Beckwith is in her fifth season with William & Mary and is a Laurel, Maryland, native. This season, she’s averaging 6.4 points and 5.1 rebounds. A long-time member of the Tribe, she’s finally getting her chance to shine as a starter this season.

Strength

Sharing the rock. William & Mary has 134 assists as a team in 10 games this season. That averages out to 13.4 assists per game, while its opponents only average 12.7 assists per game. The Tribe are fifth-best in the CAA in assists per game.

Weakness

Defending the 3-ball. Opponents are 36.5% from beyond the arc against William & Mary this season, while the Tribe are shooting just 24.4% from distance.

Three things to watch

1. The long break’s effect on Maryland’s start. It will be 12 days between contests for Maryland, which will be interesting to see how it effects the team’s start Thursday.

Advertisement

”I think it’s always our intention to come out to a great start,” Frese said. “Hopefully the energy in the building will allow us to do that.”

2. Last nonranked nonconference game. Thursday is Maryland’s second-to-last nonconference game and its last until the Claretta Scott King Classic against No. 6 Texas on Jan. 20. This is the final time Maryland will face a low-major opponent in the regular season.

“[The Terps] know what’s coming out ahead with the conference play, especially having their taste of a game already under their belt,” Frese said. “They’re highly competitive, and they love to win and don’t want to lose. So I think that’s the exciting thing, knowing just how competitive the conference is going to be.”

3. Morning electricity. It is not common that any sport plays an 11 a.m. game on a Thursday, but the Terps have a good reason to do it against William & Mary. The Terps will welcome in around 80 different local schools to support the team and usher in the holiday break.



Source link

Advertisement

Maryland

1 man dead in shooting at Walgreens involving Maryland Heights police officers

Published

on

1 man dead in shooting at Walgreens involving Maryland Heights police officers


ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. (First Alert 4) -The St. Louis County Police is actively investigating an officer-involved shooting at a Walgreens on Dorsett and McKelvey roads, which resulted in one man dead, Sunday evening.

According to police, at around 6 p.m., Maryland Heights police officers responded to the Walgreens on the 12000 block of Dorsett.

Once arriving, officers found a man with a gun. The man fired at the officers. One officer returned fire.

The man was hit and pronounced dead at the scene. His identity has not been released.

Advertisement

No officers were injured. St. Louis County Police Bureau of Crimes Against People detectives responded and assumed responsibility for the case.

The officer involved in the shooting is 30 years old, with two and a half years of experience with the Maryland Heights Police Department. The officer has previous experience in law enforcement.

Police say this is an active investigation, information will be shared as it becomes available.

This is a developing story that will be updated.

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading

Maryland

Michigan State grades vs Maryland: Jonathan Smith embraces his gambler

Published

on

Michigan State grades vs Maryland: Jonathan Smith embraces his gambler


play

Free Press sports writer Chris Solari rates Michigan State football on a scale of A to F after the Spartans’ 38-28 win over Maryland on Saturday, Nov. 29, at Ford Field in Detroit.

Offense: B

While there were drives that stalled and sputtered, MSU played one of its most complete games under coach Jonathan Smith, relative to the competition. The offensive line – on to its nation-high seventh different starting group and 11th new starter – delivered a sack-free performance for the first time in two seasons against an FBS opponent under position coach Jim Michalczik, and the program’s first game without a sack allowe since Nov. 18, 2023, at Indiana. That allowed quarterback Alessio Milivojevic to throw for 292 yards and a career-best four touchdowns, spreading the ball to eight different receivers. And it allowed the Spartans’ running backs to pick up 161 yards combined as holes opened all game.

Advertisement

Defense: C

MSU needed to steady the ship once the Terps turned to quarterback Malik Washington to throw and throw and throw some more, 61 passes in Maryland’s 77 offensive plays. The freshman delivered with 459 passing yards, much of it coming over the middle to exploit season-long coverage issues there, as the Spartans bent time and again. But when a big play was needed most, junior captain Jordan Hall delivered two big ones – hitting Washington on a third-down throw and then combining with cornerback Aydan West for a sack to force a turnover on downs the next play. Defensive back Aveon Grose, making his first start as a Spartan, sealed it with an interception after that. But MSU was abysmal on third down before then, allowing the Terps to go 9-for-16.

Special teams: A

That A stands for Alante Brown. After missing nine games with a broken foot, the sixth-year senior kick returner touched the ball once in his final game – and returned a third-quarter kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown in his last touch as a college player. Punter Ryan Eckley continued his strong season by pinning Maryland inside the 20 on four of his five punts and averaged 47.6 yards, while kicker Martin Connington delivered a short field goal. And after coverage busts a week earlier at Iowa proved costly, the Spartans shored things up to prevent any Saturday.

Advertisement

Coaching: B

MSU could have packed it in weeks ago, but Smith and his staff continued to maximize the fight internally and finally got a win to end an eight-game losing streak. Offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren dialed up a strong plan to keep Milivojevic moving the chains and away from pressure. Defensive coordinator Joe Rossi’s group found enough moxie in the fourth quarter to finally stop the Terrapins. And Smith remained true to himself while showing a bit of a gambler, going for it on fourth-and-7 at the Terps’ 10 after the 2-minute timeout and coming out with a touchdown that put the game away.

Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him @chrissolari.

 Subscribe to the “Spartan Speak” podcast for new episodes on Apple PodcastsSpotify or anywhere you listen to podcasts.





Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Maryland

Final Opportunity for One MSU Unit Against Maryland

Published

on

Final Opportunity for One MSU Unit Against Maryland


The Michigan State Spartans have gone through a rollercoaster of emotions this season, and there have been bright spots accompanied by dark places almost every week.

Unfortunately for the team, though, there has been one unit that has consistently underperformed and let the team down every week, that being the offensive line.

MS

Iowa Hawkeyes defensive lineman Ethan Hurkett (49) looks to sack Michigan State Spartans quarterback Alessio Milivojevic (11) Nov. 22, 2025 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. / Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

They may have lost one of their starters in Luka Vincic at the beginning of the season, but they still have had plenty of room to prove that they are a capable unit, full of young talent and veterans alike.

So, with only one game left in the season against the Maryland Terapins, what will it take for the offensive line to prove that they can be good for next season and be reliable for freshman quarterback Alessio Milivojevic?

Advertisement
MSU, Alessio Milivojevi

Michigan State’s Alessio Milivojevic, bottom, is sacked by Michigan’s Derrick Moore during the fourth quarter on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. / Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Allow Two Or Less Sacks

MSU, Makhi Frazie

Michigan linebacker Ernest Hausmann (15) and linebacker Troy Bowles (18) tackle Michigan State running back Makhi Frazier (5) during the second half at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing on Saturday, October 25, 2025. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Make Room For The Running Backs To Do Their Job

MSU, Brandon Tulli

Nov 1, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Michigan State Spartans running back Brandon Tullis (7) runs the ball against the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the first half at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Thrive Without The Tight Ends

MSU, Jack Vellin

Oct 11, 2025; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State tight end Jack Velling (12) reacts after dropping a pass against the UCLA Bruins in the fourth quarter at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Mullin-Imagn Images / Brendan Mullin-Imagn Images
MSU, Alessio Milivojevi

Nov 15, 2025; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Penn State defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton (33) celebrates a sack on Michigan State quarterback Alessio Milivojevic (11) in the fourth quarter at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Mullin-Imagn Images / Brendan Mullin-Imagn Images

MSU’s offensive line is on its last chance to prove itself to be a capable unit and not allow an immense amount of sacks, but if it can, then Spartan fans might have more to hope for come next year.

Keep up with all our content when you follow the official Spartan Nation page on Facebook, Spartan Nation, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and be sure to share your thoughts on MSU’s offensive line when you join our community group, Go Green Go White, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending