No. 8 Maryland’s offense blows away No. 20 Rutgers in rematch, 62-48

The eighth-ranked Maryland Terrapins (22-2, 11-2) faced off against their B1G rivals Sunday afternoon, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (17-6, 9-3), who gave the Terrapins their first loss of the season on New Year’s Eve. The Terrapins traveled to Piscataway, New Jersey, and got their revenge, winning 62-48, their seventh-straight win.

Junior guard Kailia Charles was active up and down the court, recording 17 points and four rebounds. Junior forward Stephanie Jones also put up double digits with 12 points and seven rebounds.

Charles believed their win was thanks to “having ball pressure, being there, [and] getting over the screens.”

“I think the guards today did a really good job of executing,” she added.

The Terrapins held a high tempo the entire game. They shot 53.5 percent from the field. Despite hitting only four of 13 3-pointers (30.8%), the Terrapins used the free-throw line to their advantage, making 12 of 17 attempts (70.6%). It was a much-improved offensive performance from the first meeting against Rutgers, when the Terrapins shot under 45 percent from the field.

Maryland head coach Brenda Frese took note of the Terrapins’ efficiency, saying, “It just speaks volumes to the growth of our team since we last played them.”

Maryland also made the most of their size advantage, out-rebounding Rutgers, 35-24.

“At the end of the day, those big people were too much for us,” said Rutgers head coach C. Vivian Stringer. “Maryland showed up big time. I know that they wanted to avenge the loss that they had, and we just didn't step to it and match their intensity the way that we would have to with a team of that magnitude.”

Although Frese was pleased with the win and growth of her team, she also acknowledged the tough schedule that lies ahead.

“When we play like this, great things are in store for us,” Frese said. “But there are no easy games remaining.”

Maryland will head back to College Park to face Nebraska (10-14, 5-7) at the Xfinity Center on Feb. 14. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m.