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No. 9 Maryland women’s basketball explodes in second half for 84-62 win over George Mason
For twenty frustrating minutes, the No. 9 Maryland Terrapins looked nothing like a national powerhouse, locked in a 36-36 halftime tie with a feisty George Mason squad that seemed to have their number.The Terps were flustered, their offense out of sync, and George Mason's Zahirah Walton was carving them up in the post, looking every bit the star with a game-high 27 points. It was the kind of sluggish start that can derail a season, a classic trap game scenario playing out in real time.But then, as it so often does in basketball, the switch flipped. Head coach Brenda Frese, a master of in-game adjustments, made a crucial change, reinserting her starting five with the sparkplug Addi Mack replacing Kyndal Walker.What followed was an absolute clinic. The Terps came out of the locker room with a defensive intensity that was simply suffocating, forcing turnovers and turning them into easy transition buckets.It was a 10-0 run to start the third quarter that felt like a 30-0 run, completely shifting the momentum. Mack herself provided the signature moment, a dizzying in-and-out dribble that left her George Mason defender literally on the floor before she finished with a smooth finger roll, sending the Xfinity Center crowd into a frenzy.This wasn't just a run; it was a statement. Oluchi Okananwa, who led the Terps with a cool 23 points, put it perfectly after the game, talking about the team's mentality: 'Every single player on our team can score in the paint, so I think [if] our shots aren’t falling, that’s fine, we’ll go find it other ways.' And find them they did. Alongside Okananwa's relentless drives, Yarden Garzon shook off her first-half shooting woes, knocking down a critical corner three and then sprinting back on defense to draw a charge—the kind of hustle plays that championship teams are built on.The defensive engine, as usual, was Saylor Poffenbarger, who added five more steals to her team-leading tally, using her length to disrupt every passing lane and make life miserable for the Patriots. The third quarter was a masterpiece of defensive execution; Maryland won it by 15 points and forced nine turnovers, effectively putting the game to bed before the final period even began.From there, it was cruise control, with Mir McLean providing a huge boost off the bench, hustling her way to eight points and six rebounds and proving to be the most effective option at center on a night where others struggled. This 84-62 victory, their eighth straight to open the season, is more than just another tally in the win column.It's a testament to this team's resilience. They haven't been putting together perfect four-quarter performances, yet they haven't won a game by fewer than 16 points.That ability to respond to adversity, to have a player like McLean stay 'humble and hungry' despite inconsistent minutes, and to have a coach like Frese who can make the right chess moves at the right time, is what separates good teams from great ones. As they head deeper into a tough schedule, this capacity for explosive, game-changing runs will be their most dangerous weapon.
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#Maryland women's basketball
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#Oluchi Okananwa
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