Aftermath of a Double OT Thriller: Maryland vs Washington
The Maryland Terrapins (17-5, 5-5 Big Ten) fell to the Washington Huskies (17-4, 7-3 Big Ten) in a double-overtime thriller Wednesday night, 83-80, as Maryland dropped to 1-4 in its last five games and Washington extended its winning streak to five in a row.
Early on, the Huskies were the cold team on a frigid night in College Park, making just three field goals in the first quarter, a testament to Maryland’s early defensive effort.
Along with its defense, Maryland got early hot shooting from freshman guard Addi Mack, who finished with 20 points. It was another example of how her role has grown tremendously this season, paired with a complete offensive performance from Yarden Garzon.
Maryland held a 35-23 lead at halftime.
Unfortunately for the Terps, Washington guard Sayvia Sellers erupted in the second half.
Sayvia Sellers finished with a career-high 38 points and seemed to have an answer for every defensive look Maryland threw her way.
With additional contributions from Avery Howell, who posted a 17-point, 11-rebound double-double while adding five steals, the Huskies battled back from the deficit and treated fans to a battle in the fourth quarter.
In a razor-thin game, the importance of the charity stripe loomed large late. In the fourth quarter and overtime, several clutch free throws were missed. Maryland even had a chance to win when Saylor Poffenbarger went to the line with 0.3 seconds remaining in the first overtime.
What We Learned
For Maryland, we learned that the Terps will need more nights like this from Mack to be successful.
While it was not her most efficient shooting performance, Maryland relied heavily on the freshman late, with several key possessions down the stretch hinging on her ability to create off the dribble. Even when shots did not fall, it felt like a sign of things to come, and coach Brenda Frese said Mack “grew up tonight” in the postgame press conference.
While Mack and Garzon provided solid scoring output, Maryland lacked a punch from its usual leading scorer, Oluchi Okananwa, for the second straight game. Oluchi is immensely talented and the Terps will need to rebound from this stretch to find ways to get their leading scorer more opportunities in late game situations going forward.
For Washington, it was another showcase of Sayvia Sellers’ continued growth in a career-defining performance. Beyond her scoring, her impact on the defensive end stood out as well.
Her activity and motor carried into double overtime, highlighted by a key chase-down block late in the game to preserve Washington’s lead.
Along with Sellers’ development, coach Tina Langley emphasized Washington’s commitment to defense as the catalyst for its improvement this season. The Huskies are now just two conference wins away from matching their Big Ten total from last year.
Overall, it was a wild game that fully represented the high-level basketball on display in the Big Ten this season.
Stay tuned for more hoops coverage from District of Buckets.
