Basketball <\/p>\n
Maryland women\u2019s basketball had the hype on their side after their decisive win over Rutgers. The Terp fans expected to see a bash at XFINITY Center, but instead the No. 8\u00a0 lost their footing against No. 19 Ohio State, despite building a commanding double-digit lead early.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ohio State persevered through the early outplays and flipped the tables after halftime. They surged to an 89-76 comeback win that snapped Maryland\u2019s 16-game home winning streak dating back to last season. The loss drops the Terps to 16-2 overall and 4-2 in Big Ten play, dealing a blow to conference title aspirations, just ahead of a challenging West Coast road trip.<\/p>\n
Maryland controlled the opening minutes, but Ohio State\u2019s second-half execution decided the outcome.<\/p>\n
Oluchi Okananwa jump-started Maryland with two three-point plays, scoring a quick 6-0 run. Yarden Garzon didn\u2019t linger behind, scoring three consecutive threes as the Terps surged ahead 21-9 late in the quarter. Maryland closed the opening frame in full control, leading 24-12.<\/p>\n
The Terps continued to apply pressure as Kyndal Walker and Saylor Poffenbarger stretched the margin to 34-25 midway through the quarter. Garzon buried her fourth triple to make it 37-30, and Rainey Welson capped the half with a deep three of her own.<\/p>\n
Yet Ohio State still refused let go of the game. The Buckeyes put their all into the offense, attacking the rim and dominating the free-throw line. With nine first-half free throws, Ohio State closed the gap to just 42-40 by halftime.<\/p>\n
Isimenme Ozzy-Momodu opened the second half with a second-chance layup, but Ohio State quickly seized control. Jaloni Cambridge knocked down a pull-up jumper off a turnover to give the Buckeyes their first lead at 47-46.<\/p>\n
Garzon briefly answered with another three to tie it at 54, but Ohio State steadied itself and carried a narrow 61-59 advantage into the final quarter.<\/p>\n
Welson kept Maryland within striking distance, drilling back-to-back threes to make it 68-67 with 6:45 remaining. That was as close as the Terps would get.<\/p>\n
Ohio State responded with a decisive 13-2 run, backed by timely three-pointers from Kennedy Cambridge and Jaloni Cambridge. The Buckeyes closed with confidence, sealing the road victory, stealing the crowd\u2019s voice.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Despite the loss, several individual performances stood out. Okananwa led all scorers with 27 points and nine rebounds, surpassing 1,000 career points in just her 89th game. During the post-game, she expressed her pride in reaching the milestone in a Maryland uniform, while emphasizing the need to quickly turn the page.<\/p>\n
Now averaging 22.6 points per game in Big Ten play, Okananwa continues to anchor the offense.<\/p>\n
Garzon added 19 points on an efficient 5-of-10 shooting from three-point range, extending her conference-leading total to 53 made threes. Welson tied her career high with 12 points off the bench, knocking down four triples, while Ozzy-Momodu chipped in eight rebounds.<\/p>\n
Even though the loss will surely sting, especially after the breaking of such a long streak, the Terps don\u2019t have the luxury to mourn yet. The Terps head west to face No. 21 USC on Thursday and No. 4 UCLA on Sunday, two of the nation\u2019s toughest tests.<\/p>\n
Coach Brenda Frese has expressed her confidence in the continuous growth of her girls. The challenge now is sustaining that level of belief in all four quarters.<\/p>\n