Maryland women’s basketball exits NCAA Tournament, falls 71-67 vs. South Carolina in Sweet 16

No. 4 Maryland women’s basketball battled until the end before suffered a devastating loss, 71-67, Friday afternoon against No. 1 South Carolina in the NCAA Regional Semifinals at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Al.

“Really, really, really proud of this group. I thought they came out and you saw they were fearless and unfazed and believed that they could win this game. I thought they competed as hard as they have for 40 minutes. I knew they would,” said head coach Brenda Frese. “We hold our head high, just given how we played tonight.”

The Terps didn’t make this game for the Gamecocks easy. The Terps applied the pressure offensively and defensively but with several fouls and unfortunate sequences, Maryland just never could extend its lead enough to feel comfortable and secure a win.

It took the Terps nearly four minutes into the start of the first quarter to find any action. Guard Shyanne Sellers got a layup followed by guard Kaylene Smikle layup. Even though it seemed as if the Gamecocks were constantly striking first, the Terps didn’t let that slow them down.

After one quarter, the Terps were only down one, 17-16. Frese stepped out on the court, clapping her hands at the end of the quarter, knowing that her Terps were still in it against a resilient South Carolina team.

Maryland didn’t receive its first foul till the beginning of the second quarter. Frese expected the game to be physical though. The game played out almost like a chess match, the continuous response from each team scoring was almost instant.

Now four minutes into the second quarter, guard Sarah Te-Biasu gave the Terps their first lead and 3-pointer of the game. Smikle capped off Maryland's 6-0 run.

The Terps found themselves with a two point lead, 33-31, going into halftime. The Terps must keep their momentum and propel it into the final 20 minutes out of the half if they want to remain optimistic for a spot in the Elite Eight.

The Terps’ defense seemed to step it up out of the half. Maryland knew South Carolina was one of the stronger teams in the paint, so the Terps’ defense needed to be heavy.

But seven minutes into the third quarter, more foul trouble started to appear, especially for Kubek and Sellers, who picked up back-to-back fouls. South Carolina also started to find its rhythm with a 7-0 run before Frese halted the Gamecocks' run.

Unfortunately, the five points the Terps put up out of the timeout wouldn’t be enough. The Gamecocks would continue to go on another 6-0 run to close out the third quarter and regain their lead, 52-50.

With one last quarter, the Terps continued to hold on strong and not let the deficit slip through their fingers before it was too late to recover from. And with three minutes remaining in the game, Kubek fouled out. Kubek was a key component for the Terps in guarding the Gamecocks in the paint.

“It’s always tough to not be able to be on the floor and contribute with my team. At that point, all you can do is just kind of cheer them on and get positive energy off the bench,” Kubek said in regards to being fouled out.

Coming down to the wire, the fouls continued to rack up for the Terps. The last scoring from the Terps came from guard Saylor Poffenbarger’s layup, but since then, Maryland went on nearly a three-minute drought with no offensive action. Forward Amari DeBerry got the Terps on the board one last time this season with a layup.

Sellers said the game plan for the Terps was executed perfectly. This was Sellers last game as a Terp. “Just the course of my journey here, I’ve seen it all. I’ve been at one of the best programs in the country for four years. I’m grateful for my time here. I’ve made sisters for life, family for life. And you know, nothing’s gonna change once I go,” said Sellers.

Frese discussed the impact Sellers has had on the team and the program, from her competitiveness, rising to every occasion, and overcoming several challenges.. “Having a kid in your program for four years isn’t the norm anymore, and Shy has been someone who’s been incredibly loyal when you talk about her trust and love for our program,” said Frese. “Just so grateful for how she’s represented us the past four years.”

Despite the loss, forward Allie Kubek plays some of her best basketball in March, as she transforms herself into a completely different player. In the regular season, Kubek was averaging just 8.4 points per game, but come time for the NCAA Tournament, she averages 21.3 points per game. Kubek is also 83% from the 3-point line compared to during the regular season where she’s only 33% from the three.

Tonight, several Terps scored in the double digits. Smikle had 17 points, Kubek and Te-Biasu with 12, and Sellers with 10. Maryland was also 72% from the free throw and 31% from the three.

Entering the matchup, the Gamecocks had dominated the series against the Terps, 6-2. The last five meetings have belonged to South Carolina. Today’s matchup marked the second time the Terps and Gamecocks have met in the NCAA Tournament. In the 2023 Elite Eight, South Carolina downed Maryland, 86-75.

Maryland faced several challenges through the 2024-2025 season, yet the Terps stayed resilient throughout the highs and lows. Frese reflected on her Terps season.

“You’re going to have these moments in life where you’re going through highs, and you’re going to have some really low lows, and for them, you know, they can see how resilient they were through the course of the season, and were able to come back on top, and they’ll be able to do that in life.”

By: Brinkley Smith

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