COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Going into Wednesday, Indiana women’s basketball was 0-6 against Maryland at Xfinity Center.
But these are different teams, and it quickly became apparent that the streak was in jeopardy. The Hoosiers set the tone early and built up a huge lead by halftime. The Terps made a big comeback in the second half, but IU ultimately held on for an 87-73 win in College Park. This was also Indiana’s third straight win, overall, over Maryland, and IU’s fourth win in the last five meetings.
Indiana (18-2, 9-1 Big Ten) opened the game on a 14-2 run. The Hoosiers re-established a double-digit lead at the end of the first quarter, and that margin didn’t fall below 10 for the rest of the first half. IU opened the game 4 for 7 from the 3-point line, and finished the first quarter 6 for 14. Indiana racked up a 52-30 advantage by halftime.
IU’s outside shots dried up the rest of the way, going just 3 for 12 from beyond the arc after the first quarter.
Maryland (12-9, 4-6) came back in the third quarter with more energy and some defensive adjustments, to a trap-heavy matchup zone and a press, and it made a difference. The Terps climbed back into the game and trimmed the deficit down single-digits by the end of the quarter. They got as close as seven points in the fourth quarter, but the Hoosiers hung on. They put the game away at the foul line, shooting 11 for 14 on free throws in the final period.
Graduate student forward Mackenzie Holmes set the pace for the Hoosiers with 23 points on a 8-for-14 clip, along with a 7-for-8 mark at the free-throw line. She also grabbed a team-high nine rebounds. Fifth-year guard Sara Scalia also had a big scoring game, shooting 4 for 8 from 3-point range, with all her made threes coming in the first half. She shot 5 for 11 from the field and 8 for 9 at the free-throw line for 22 points. Sophomore forward Yarden Garzon chipped in 11 points on a 4-of-9 line.
Maryland leading scorer Shyanne Sellers missed the game with a knee injury. IU guard Sydney Parrish was also out, her third straight game unavailable with a foot injury. Sophomore Lexus Bargesser started in her place once again, and dished a team-high six assists.
The Hoosiers have a huge game on deck, a road contest at No. 8 Ohio State on Sunday afternoon.
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