Minneapolis, Minnesota (AP) – In the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals on Friday, Maryland defeated fourth-ranked and regular-season champion Ohio State 82-61 behind the play of Shyanne Sellers, who finished with 25 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists.
The Terrapins (19-12), led by 19-point scorers Brinae Alexander and Jakia Brown-Turner, as well as 15 points and 11 rebounds from Faith Masonius, put on the kind of game that should put them on the safe side of the bubble for an at-large invitation to the NCAA Tournament.
Sellers declared, “I’m telling you straight now: The Maryland team you see in March is not the same team you see at the beginning.” “We may have just demonstrated that,”
On Saturday afternoon, Maryland will take on Nebraska; this will be the Terrapins’ seventh trip to the semifinals in ten years. The Terrapins had just finished exacting revenge on Ohio State for their two regular-season losses when Nebraska and Michigan State squared off in their quarterfinal match.
Maryland defeated their first opponent of the season, a ranked team, with a score of 55–31 in rebounds and 19–5 in second-chance points.
Coach Brenda Frese remarked, “To finally get over that hump today when it matters most in the most pressure-filled time is a testament to these guys.”The Buckeyes (25-5) suffered a setback in their quest for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament after losing two straight games. “Maryland played a great game. They were really prepared. They played like a team that might have needed this to get in the tournament, and we played like a team that showed up as the No. 1 seed and everybody was just supposed to lie down,” said Buckeyes coach Kevin McGuff. The Terrapins, who had never advanced past the second round of the tournament before, defeated Illinois on Thursday.
