Maryland women's basketball's resilience shined despite Sweet 16 exit
'You're going to have moments that you are going to go through high highs and low lows,' head coach Brenda Frese said, 'and for them (the team), they can see how resilient they were through the course of the season and were able to come back out on top.'
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The Terps rolled into the new year with a 14-0 record, but difficulties began once the calendar turned to 2025.
'This [season] ranked right up there because there were so many highs to start the season out and the win streak we had, and then the lows through the adversity that we faced with all the injuries,' Frese said.
Maryland's first loss on Jan. 8 to USC was not a warning sign, as it fought hard against an eventual No. 1 seed.
The Terps took their first gut punch in a win on Jan. 14 at home against Minnesota, though. In the first half of that game, Bri McDaniel tore her ACL, and was sidelined for the remainder of the season. McDaniel averaged 10.6 points and 2.4 assists per game this season, and brought intensity and grit to both sides of the court.
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Unfortunately for the Terps, a downward spiral began, losing their next three games — two of which were to eventual Final Four teams in Texas and UCLA. Not only was Maryland without McDaniel, Shyanne Sellers also got injured against Texas and missed its most difficult stretch of the season.
'Like I've shared with them, a lot of teams would have folded after losing Bri [McDaniel],' Frese said.
Sellers eventually returned and played out the rest of her final season, but she never fully recovered from her knee injury.
The Terps fell two more times — a slim one-point loss to Illinois on Senior Day and a blowout loss to Nebraska — both on their home floor.
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The end of the regular season proved to be crucial. Maryland won six of its final seven games, and it finally looked like McDaniel's absence wasn't as apparent.
Sarah Te-Biasu ended the season with a clutch game-winning shot in overtime against Ohio State, which the Terps had fallen to earlier in the season.
Then came the Big Ten Tournament. Maryland was outclassed by a Michigan team it had beaten just 19 days prior, and things looked once again bleak with a two-week break until the NCAA Tournament.
During that break, the Terps were given a lifeline. Maryland received a chance to host the first and second rounds of the NCAA tournament as a No. 4 seed.
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The opening round of the NCAA tournament wasn't pretty. The Terps escaped with a win over No. 13-seed Norfolk State following a lackluster start.
No. 5-seed Alabama was next, producing arguably the best game of the NCAA tournament.
Maryland's season looked to end on its home floor, down by 17 points with Sellers and Kaylene Smikle in serious foul trouble. The Terps found a way to tie the game, though, as Te-Biasu saved the season with 12 seconds left, making a remarkable 3-pointer that sent the game to overtime.
In overtime, Maryland had seemingly won the game, up by three points with six seconds remaining. Sarah Ashlee Barker then heaved a desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer in hopes to tie the game. She missed, but was fouled by Saylor Poffenbarger and drained all three free throws. Off to a second overtime.
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Barker scored 45 points but it wasn't enough. The Terps took the lead in the final period and never relented, advancing them to Birmingham, Alabama.
The season ended in Birmingham against No. 1-seed South Carolina, but the Terps fought hard and may have pulled off the upset if not for Allie Kubek fouling out late.
'We had some people say we weren't going to make it out of the first round,' Kubek said after the game. 'I think coming here and proving them wrong is really special, and especially with this group of girls. They're really great. It's been a blessing.'
Coming into the Sweet 16, Maryland didn't seem to have much of a chance against a juggernaut in the Gamecocks, but the Terps held a lead in the final three minutes and almost pulled off one of the biggest upsets in program history.
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'Just to watch this team when it started back in Croatia, to form with 10 new players and to be able to go through all those highs and lows and to be able to trust the system, trust the coaching staff and really just continue to buy in and be able to take us to a Sweet 16 [was special],' Frese said.
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