Takeaways from No. 8 Maryland women’s basketball’s 25-point win at Northwestern

No. 8 Maryland ladies’s basketball rode an entire efficiency in its 79-54 victory over Northwestern at Welsh-Ryan Enviornment in Evanston, Illinois, on Thursday.

Maryland senior guard Diamond Miller supplied 18 factors, 9 rebounds, seven assists and a pivotal bucket within the second quarter that led to a dominant 10 minutes of play.

The Terps (20-5) moved to 11-3 in Massive Ten play and can return dwelling Sunday for a 1 p.m. conflict with Illinois at XFINITY Middle.

Listed below are three takeaways from Thursday evening’s motion.

Maryland head coach Brenda Frese clinched her nineteenth straight 20-win season.

One other season, one other accomplishment for Maryland head coach Brenda Frese.

Frese gained this system’s first nationwide title in 2006 and has led the Terps to a few Ultimate 4 appearances.

When the 2022-23 Maryland roster was utterly assembled, it was laborious to think about 20 wins this shortly. The Terps had been No. 17 within the preseason AP ballot, however roster turnover triggered uncertainty. Frese — with 9 newcomers and missing ample measurement — has discovered other ways to win significant video games this season.

The Terps victory on Thursday clinched Frese’s nineteenth consecutive 20-win season in Faculty Park.

“I can’t say sufficient about our teaching workers and the job they’ve achieved this season. So simply the buy-in from the gamers and placing all of it collectively is fairly cool to see.” Frese mentioned

Maryland has maintained success in Frese’s tenure, with this yr wanting fairly totally different from yr’s previous.

Frese has experimented with totally different defensive units this season, because the Terps shifted to an prolonged 2-3 zone on Thursday evening. The change in protection triggered havoc for Northwestern and started to show into favorable alternatives in transition.

“I believed it (the 2-3 zone) gave them issues, as you noticed they solely made two threes. I believed we actually acquired higher tonight in our zone.” Frese mentioned

The Terps dismantled Northwestern, and earned one other spectacular milestone below their passionate head coach alongside the best way.

Profitable 20 video games in a season is an accomplishment in itself, however doing it for practically two consecutive many years is worthy of a standing ovation. Whether or not Maryland is within the Massive Ten or the ACC, Frese has set a typical of excellence for her program.

Diamond Miller led a resurgent second quarter.

After a primary quarter the place Northwestern hit first, Maryland performed the next interval with a way of urgency and focus.

With fewer than eight minutes within the second quarter, Maryland senior guard Diamond Miller made a swift spin then proceeded to complete on the rim to trim their deficit 20-19. Miller sprinted again on protection and was noticed yelling ‘Let’s go.’ At that second, the All-Massive Ten guard took over the sport.

Miller confirmed off her playmaking abilities — as her penetration paved a method for a Brinae Alexander layup — leading to a lead it might by no means relinquish.

“I really feel like generally we’re up and down and [I thought] we had been low. I used to be making an attempt to do something to get my crew going.” Miller mentioned

Just a few possessions later, she dribbled laborious in transition earlier than dropping a bounce cross to Abby Meyers for a layup.

The Terps’ offensive ball motion (5 assists) led to a dominant 18-2 scoring margin within the quarter. Whereas their protection held the Wildcats to a 0-for-13 displaying from the sphere and their first factors with below 30 seconds till intermission.

Maryland wouldn’t look again, as they proceeded to win the next two quarters, 45-32. Whereas many might frown at a aggressive first quarter, Maryland’s dominant efficiency is an encouraging signal because it strikes in direction of the ultimate 4 video games.

“Disenchanted in our first quarter, however I believed it was a terrific response after that. The subsequent three quarters we performed extraordinarily laborious and had been extra in tuned to what we wanted to do.” Frese mentioned.

Freshman guard Bri McDaniel continues to flash potential.

Maryland freshman guard Bri McDaniel grew up in Chicago, roughly 20.2 miles away from Welsh-Ryan Enviornment.

With household in attendance, McDaniel scored a career-high 14 factors and drained 4-of-6 pictures from behind the arc, flashing her progress this season in her first collegiate season.

“It felt good to return again dwelling and play. It’s sort of laborious being away from my household, as a result of we’re so household oriented,” McDaniel mentioned. “With the ability to see each final member of the family that I had right here [and to] play for them was wonderful.”

The freshman guard’s motion with out the basketball paved the best way for a powerful efficiency.

With below two minutes remaining within the first quarter, McDaniel drilled a nook 3-pointer for her first factors of the sport. McDaniel’s confidence grew from distance with pictures within the first three quarters.

With a 48-31 lead in hand, the freshman guard led the cost in transition, in the end receiving the hockey help in Diamond Miller’s easy layup.

The Chicago native leads Maryland’s freshman class with eight minutes a sport and has been taking advantage of her time on the courtroom. She’s energetic within the passing lane and constantly contesting opposing pictures. Thursday’s homecoming was an entire efficiency on each ends for the freshman guard.

“That’s what she’s able to doing. Each single evening she’s taking part in laborious and she or he’s a particular participant as you’ll be able to see.” Frese mentioned.

Maryland has 4 video games remaining within the season, with two being extremely anticipated top-25 rematches. The Terps will look to proceed constructing momentum as quickly as Sunday with a couple of weeks to go till the Massive Ten Match.