No. 19 Maryland got its revenge in overtime Sunday evening in the Xfinity Center, defeating the Ohio State Buckeyes 93-90 to close out the regular season.
With seven seconds left on the clock, guard Sarah Te-Biasu dribbled the ball down the sideline with her speed allowing her to get just enough space. Then, she just makes her last run in before launching the ball behind the three, pushing Maryland ahead with just one second left in overtime.
Head coach Brenda Frese needed the Terps to stay resilient, poised, and confident entering overtime.
“I knew they were going to try to get us on the glass, which, you know, they kind of tried to get a lot of extra opportunities press break,” Frese said postgame.
Maryland was almost perfect this year on the road — until Ohio State disrupted that record back in January when the Buckeyes topped the Terps 74-66.
From the tip, Maryland was explosive, and so was the Xfinity Center. A layup from forward Allie Kubek started things for the Terps, followed by a 3-pointer from guard Shyanne Sellers.
Off the bench in the first, forward Amari DeBerry found herself six points in the quarter. DeBerry also got an assist after a pass to guard Kaylene Smikle for a successful layup. Maryland ended the first quarter on top, 24-17.
Frese noted the importance of DeBerry, especially in those first-quarter minutes.
“I love the confidence that she’s playing at, and, you know, she’s so long, she’s really impacting defensively as well as offensively. So just great to be able to get these kind of contributions from our bench,” Frese said.
However, the Buckeyes did more than just close their lead in the second quarter. Ohio State saw several strong offensive runs, which left the Terps trailing entering the half, 38-37.
At the half, the Terps were 100% at the free throw and 41.7% on the three.
The beginning of the third quarter wasn’t necessarily what Terps fans wanted to see, as Sellers took a hard fall underneath the net and was carried off into the tunnel. But with five minutes remaining in the quarter, the Xfinity Center rose to its feet and filled with cheers and screams as Sellers made her way back out of the tunnel and onto the court.
A technical foul was also issued in the third on forward Christina Dalce. As the third quarter ended, the Terps only had a one-point lead over the Buckeyes, 58-57.
However, Smikle was about to have a great fourth quarter. She scored 11 points in the quarter and got one assist, ending her night with 26 points.
Maryland ended the night shooting 80% from the free throw and 47.4% from the three.
This potentially was Sellers' last home game, and she did not disappoint, scoring 21 points and had eight assists.
“It means everything to be here and play here,” said Sellers. “A lot of greats have walked through these doors, and I’ve just enjoyed every moment of it. It’s surreal, but I think if this is it, what a way to go out.”
Guard Saylor Poffenbarger remains sidelined in a walking boot on her left leg after sustaining an injury. Still, Terps fans will remain optimistic about her return as Maryland begins its postseason journey.
“This was an important game for our confidence, to know that we can go into overtime and we can be short-handed, we can be in foul trouble and be able to pull out a game like this,” Frese added.
The Terps continue to have a slight edge in the series, leading the Buckeyes 16-11.
Next, the Terps will compete in the Big Ten Tournament from March 5 to 9 in Indianapolis. Maryland currently holds the fourth seed, giving the Terps a double-bye. USC is the number one seed, followed by UCLA in third and Ohio State in fourth.
By: Brinkley Smith
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