Maryland women's basketball tops Duke once again

Courtesy of University of Maryland Athletics

Maryland Terrapins defeated the Duke Blue Devils 85-80 at Xfinity Center on Sunday afternoon. The battle between the number 18 ranked Maryland Terrapins and the 11 ranked Duke Blue Devils pits longtime rivals against each other for the 87th time in their first meeting since March 28, 2015.

This was the Terrapins first test this season as they have started off 2-0 after taking wins against UMBC and Coppin State this week. Duke is also coming off two wins to start the season after beating Radford and Liberty.

Maryland opened the game with intensity, growing a 9-2 lead before a ferocious rejection from Maryland’s Christina Dalce at the rim. The Terps have been aggressive on the boards, with Dalce’s seven rebounds just in the first quarter. While aggressive on the boards, they struggled to take advantage of opportunities around the rim.

Duke endured offensive woes as they struggled to get anything going. The first quarter wrapped up with a score of 21-13 in favor of the Terps. Sellers opened the second quarter with a three to extend the lead but was answered back immediately by Duke’s Jordan Wood with a three of her own. Duke looked more settled in after the slow start, capitalizing on points off turnovers, more intensity on the defensive end and converting on open threes early in the second.

Sellers helped to slow Duke’s momentum, while helping set up Kaylene Smickle’s second three of the game that pushed the score to 34-28 midway through the second. Duke's failure to take advantage allowed the Terps to keep their composure, holding off the Blue Devil’s storm. The half ended with a 40-33 point lead. The Terps not only dominated the paint but their three-point shooting and a five-free throw discrepancy proved vital in offsetting their miscues.

Smikle was knocked down, hitting her third three in three tries. She had a game-high of sixteen points midway through the third quarter. The Terps turned up the heat on the defensive end. Smothering defense, no breathing room and no open shots allowed Maryland to capture the momentum, leading to easy offensive transitions and open looks.

“I thought we came out with a really strong start with that nine-zero run. I thought you saw the confidence and just fearless,” said Maryland head coach Brenda Frese. “We really felt like rebounding and turnovers were going to be big keys for this game, and knowing that they're a really strong defensive team as well."

The Terps effectively put this game away in the third, capping the quarter with a 65-52 point lead.

Feeding off the crowd, the Terps continued to roll in fourth, and right as Duke started to settle back in, Maryland made things very uncomfortable. The Terps found their stride in the second half; protecting the ball, defensive intensity and offensive pressure proved vital in the second half.

Sellers finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists but her performance was highlighted by her calm and collected demeanor which helped keep the team grounded. Smikle ended with a game-high twenty-three points. Dalce dominated the paint on both ends, ending with a game-high fourteen rebounds, half of which were offensive.