With a considerable size advantage over most if its opponents, the 14th-ranked Maryland women's basketball team prefers to conduct virtually all of its meaningful business inside. Then there are those rare instances when that plan isn't the most conducive option and the Terrapins' post players defer to a teammate with command from outside.
During a 75-44 victory over Wake Forest on Friday night, junior guard Kim Rodgers became that centerpiece of the offense, triggering a 17-0 burst to close the first half that all but decided the outcome before an announced 4,682 at Comcast Center.
Rodgers scored 13 points in that time, including 11 in a row and three consecutive 3-pointers, to direct Maryland to its fourth straight win overall and 10th straight over the Demon Deacons.
Rodgers finished with 17 points, one short of her career high, on 6-for-10 shooting and made three of five 3-point attempts. Freshman guard-forward Alyssa Thomas continued her torrid run through the ACC with a game-high 19 points and 11 rebounds for her fifth double double in six games, and sophomore forward Tianna Hawkins added 12 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.
"I really felt like that stretch was our depth really wearing them out," Maryland coach Brenda Frese said. "There was one stretch where we went about seven minutes before a timeout, and just the kind of shape we're in and the depth that we play with, how hard we can play on the floor was absolutely the difference."
Not that the Terrapins (17-3, 4-2) abandoned their intent to punish Wake Forest along the interior. They out-rebounded the Demon Deacons 54-35, including 22-12 offensively, and outscored them inside 32-16 for their second straight convincing conference victory. On Sunday, Maryland throttled No. 10 North Carolina, 88-65, in its most complete game of the season.
Its showing against Wake Forest (10-12, 1-5) was just as emphatic statistically. The Terrapins limited the Demon Deacons to 29 percent shooting, including 19 percent from 3-point range, and forced 17 turnovers. Maryland had 23 points off turnovers to six for Wake Forest and shot 56 percent in the first half in a game that turned in its favor when Rodgers began coming free beyond the 3-point line.
"We were really focused on getting baskets in transition," Rodgers said. "All I did was get out and try to run, and my teammates found me."
The Terrapins attempted to pull away early in the first half and with another push midway through it, but Wake Forest managed to remain within striking distance after Sandra Garcia's basket that trimmed the lead to 25-18 with 4:25 to play. Hawkins answered with a rebound putback before Rodgers's decisive display of 3-point precision.
Her first from beyond the arc made it 30-18, and by the time she was done, Maryland was ahead 38-18 with 1:50 to go until halftime, at which point the Terrapins led 42-18.
Ten of Maryland's 12 players scored in the game, with sophomore forward Diandra Tchatchouang's 10 points rounding out four in double figures. Tchatchouang also had four assists and a pair of blocks in a win that came with such ease that junior center Lynetta Kizer, the team's second leading scorer at 13.3 points per game, took just one shot and finished with a single point in 19 minutes.
"I really believe this team really doesn't quite understand yet how good it can be," Frese said. "We're just tapping it right now. As you can see, our depth, when you talk about Kim and Tianna and Laurin Mincy and Alicia DeVaughn, as they're putting games together, they make us a really dangerous team because I wouldn't know how you would scout us."
— Gene Wang, The Washington Post
Loyola 55, Niagara 44: Miriam McKenzie recorded her fifth double double of the season (12 points and 11 rebounds) as the visiting Greyhounds (10-10, 7-2 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) beat the Purple Eagles (1-19, 0-9).
Erica DiClemente had 12 points for Loyola, which shot 35 percent to Niagara's 31 percent.
The Greyhounds broke a tie at 14 with a 4-0 run started by a DiClemente jumper. Niagara came within two points before Loyola went on a 10-0 run to pull away.
Loyola led by 13 at the half.
Juniata 73, Goucher 54: Sharnell Huff had 15 points in a losing effort for the host Gophers (2-15, 2-6 Landmark Conference).
Goucher trailed Juniata by seven and had the ball with 15 seconds left, but after a Goucher turnover the Eagles (13-6, 6-2) were able to score six points during the final nine seconds to take a 33-20 advantage at the break. Their lead never dipped below five in the second half.
Erin McGinley tallied 17 points, and Kate McDonald posted a double double of 14 points and 14 rebounds for Juniata.
Men
Siena 76, Loyola 59: All five starters reached double figures, and Ryan Rossiter became just the second player in school history to amass 1,000 rebounds in his career, as the Saints beat the host Greyhounds.
The victory ended a two-game Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference losing streak for Siena (8-12, 5-5) and kept the team within striking distance of the top half of the conference.
The Saints used a 15-2 run to turn a one-point deficit into a 29-17 lead at the 8:01 mark of the first half and led by double figures the rest of the way.
Loyola (10-10, 6-4) lost for the first time in five games and just the second time this calendar year. The Greyhounds knocked off MAAC front-runner Fairfield, 66-65, at home Jan. 14.
Rossiter led all players with 18 points, and picked up his benchmark rebound just 19 seconds into the second half. He left the game momentarily in the second half with a groin injury, but returned with vengeance. He scored seven straight points after re-entering at the 15:33 mark, pushing Siena's lead to 52-32 with 13:50 to play.
The Greyhounds closed to 65-55, on a 3-pointer from J'hared Hall with 6:26 to play, but Siena scored the next six points to put the game away.
O.D. Anosike scored a career-high 16 points and added eight rebounds for Siena. Owen Wignot had 14 points and seven rebounds, Kyle Downey finished with 13 points and Rakeem Brookins had 11 points, six assists, four rebounds and three steals.
The difference in the game was Siena's shooting and its aggressive zone defense. The Saints shot 53 percent from the field after consecutive games of extremely poor shooting. Loyola shot just 33 percent and looked lost at times.
Justin Drummond came off the bench to lead the Greyhounds with 12 points. Three players added 10 apiece.
Siena will host Niagara on Sunday at 2 p.m.
Goucher 64, Juniata 51: Shane Yambor and Trae Lindsay (Patapsco) combined to score 32 points and grab 16 rebounds to lead the host Gophers (4-11, 2-6 Landmark Conference) past the Eagles (10-9, 3-5).
Goucher took the lead for good on a pair of free throws by Leroy Williams (Patapsco) that snapped a tie at 21 with 4:41 left in the first half. Juniata went on a 12-0 run to cut the lead to 64-48 with 20 seconds left, then got three points closer.
Yambor finished with 20 points and eight rebounds. Lindsay had four blocked shots and a pair of steals to go along with his 12 points and eight rebounds.