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| Maryland women beat Michigan State, 60-44, in Big Ten title game | Maryland women beat Michigan State, 60-44, in Big Ten title game |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| INDIANAPOLIS — The ultimate goal for the Maryland women’s basketball team is a return trip to Bankers Life Fieldhouse in a month for what would be its third straight Final Four. For the time being, though, the top-seeded Terrapins were plenty satisfied with celebrating a second consecutive Big Ten tournament title here. | |
| Overcoming wayward shooting with masterful defense down the stretch, Maryland took charge at the outset of the fourth quarter and held off third-seeded Michigan State, 60-44 , on Sunday night for its fourth championship since joining the Big Ten last season. Fifth-ranked Maryland also has captured both regular season conference titles. | Overcoming wayward shooting with masterful defense down the stretch, Maryland took charge at the outset of the fourth quarter and held off third-seeded Michigan State, 60-44 , on Sunday night for its fourth championship since joining the Big Ten last season. Fifth-ranked Maryland also has captured both regular season conference titles. |
| The Terrapins (30-3) won their ninth game in a row and now await their seeding when the NCAA tournament’s field of 64 is announced March 14. It’s the sixth time since Coach Brenda Frese arrived in College Park in 2002-03 that Maryland has reached 30 victories in a season. | The Terrapins (30-3) won their ninth game in a row and now await their seeding when the NCAA tournament’s field of 64 is announced March 14. It’s the sixth time since Coach Brenda Frese arrived in College Park in 2002-03 that Maryland has reached 30 victories in a season. |
| “It’s just as sweet,” Frese said. “It was really hard. I think that’s always the perspective. We may make it look easy when you talk about the regular season, but when you talk about playing 33 games, it’s really hard to do. You can’t it for granted, and I know we never will.” | |
| Junior guard-forward Shatori Walker-Kimbrough led the Terrapins with 19 points and added 10 rebounds on the way to being named tournament most outstanding player. Redshirt senior point guard Brene Moseley (Paint Branch High) added 10 points, six assists and two rebounds, and junior center Brionna Jones contributed 10 points, 14 rebounds and half of Maryland’s 12 steals . | |
| Maryland overcame its lowest point total of the season, 35 percent shooting and 19 turnovers to put the outcome all but out of reach with a 9-2 flurry to open the final period. Reserve senior forward Tierney Pfirman (eight points, 12 rebounds ) capped the run with back-to-back baskets for a 51-38 lead with 6 minutes 3 seconds left in regulation. | |
| [Maryland men fall, 80-62, to Indiana in regular season finale] | [Maryland men fall, 80-62, to Indiana in regular season finale] |
| From there, the Terrapins clamped down defensively in going 8-0 all time against Michigan State (24-8), which shot 2 for 11 in the fourth quarter. Junior guard Tori Jankoska led the Spartans with 12 points but missed 11 of 15 field goals. Michigan State committed 22 turnovers and shot 32 percent. | From there, the Terrapins clamped down defensively in going 8-0 all time against Michigan State (24-8), which shot 2 for 11 in the fourth quarter. Junior guard Tori Jankoska led the Spartans with 12 points but missed 11 of 15 field goals. Michigan State committed 22 turnovers and shot 32 percent. |
| “They outhustled us and outworked us in the second half,” Michigan State Coach Suzy Merchant said. “That was frustrating. Second half, we just stopped playing, stopped competing.” | “They outhustled us and outworked us in the second half,” Michigan State Coach Suzy Merchant said. “That was frustrating. Second half, we just stopped playing, stopped competing.” |
| An 11-0 surge midway through the third quarter put Maryland in front by its largest margin to that point. Jones got it going by making 1 of 2 free throws, and senior forward Malina Howard made a short jumper to tie the score. Walker-Kimbrough sank four foul shots, Moseley scored a layup and Pfirman connected on a jumper to make it 38-30 with 3:42 to play. | An 11-0 surge midway through the third quarter put Maryland in front by its largest margin to that point. Jones got it going by making 1 of 2 free throws, and senior forward Malina Howard made a short jumper to tie the score. Walker-Kimbrough sank four foul shots, Moseley scored a layup and Pfirman connected on a jumper to make it 38-30 with 3:42 to play. |
| But the Spartans closed to 40-36 with consecutive baskets from junior forward Aerial Powers. Michigan State’s leading scorer had not collected a point until she made those field goals; a game earlier, she led the Spartans with 31 points in the Big Ten semifinals. She finished with a season-low eight points, 14 below her average. | |
| “We just wanted to stay disciplined on her,” Walker-Kimbrough said. “She’s a great player, can do a lot of great things, but we wanted to make her uncomfortable in her jump shots.” | “We just wanted to stay disciplined on her,” Walker-Kimbrough said. “She’s a great player, can do a lot of great things, but we wanted to make her uncomfortable in her jump shots.” |
| [Terrapins Insider: After loss to Indiana, Maryland ‘back to being underdogs’ ] | [Terrapins Insider: After loss to Indiana, Maryland ‘back to being underdogs’ ] |
| Down four early in the second quarter, Maryland went ahead at 21-19 for the first time since the opening minutes after an 8-2 burst that featured three-pointers from Walker-Kimbrough and senior point guard Chloe Pavlech (eight points). Merchant called a timeout following Pavlech’s three-pointer with 4:45 to go until the break, and Michigan State reclaimed the lead with seven points in a row. | |
| Frese used a timeout with 1:02 remaining to try to blunt Michigan State’s momentum, and Walker-Kimbrough helped that cause with a three-pointer from the right corner to draw the Terrapins to 26-24 at halftime. It was just the fourth time this season that Maryland, which led for only 61 seconds in the first half, trailed at intermission. | Frese used a timeout with 1:02 remaining to try to blunt Michigan State’s momentum, and Walker-Kimbrough helped that cause with a three-pointer from the right corner to draw the Terrapins to 26-24 at halftime. It was just the fourth time this season that Maryland, which led for only 61 seconds in the first half, trailed at intermission. |
| The Terrapins began the game with balky outside shooting when Michigan State packed the interior in an effort to limit Jones. That strategy allowed Maryland clean looks from beyond the arc, but the Terrapins missed 7 of 8 from that distance and trailed for most of the first quarter. | The Terrapins began the game with balky outside shooting when Michigan State packed the interior in an effort to limit Jones. That strategy allowed Maryland clean looks from beyond the arc, but the Terrapins missed 7 of 8 from that distance and trailed for most of the first quarter. |
| Maryland shot 6 for 21 overall from three-point range but attempted only five in the second half. The Spartans finished 2 for 19 from beyond the arc. | Maryland shot 6 for 21 overall from three-point range but attempted only five in the second half. The Spartans finished 2 for 19 from beyond the arc. |
| “Every championship is special,” Pfirman said. “Being the last one, it’s incredible to be with a group of girls like this, to go out of the Big Ten like this and into the NCAAs, so it’s really special.” | “Every championship is special,” Pfirman said. “Being the last one, it’s incredible to be with a group of girls like this, to go out of the Big Ten like this and into the NCAAs, so it’s really special.” |