NFL
For the 16th time in a row, Maryland Women’s Basketball is back in the big dance. In the last five years, this is the second time the Terrapins will not host the first two rounds. The last road appearance ended with a first-round loss to Iowa State in the 2023-2024 season.
This Friday, Maryland will take on No.12 Murray State for the first time in program history. Back-to-back tournaments have occurred for the Terrapins. “Just so impressed with Murray State after winning their Missouri Valley Conference championship. 15 straight games. You talk about the player of the year, the newcomer player of the year. It’s just a team that once put up a lot of points; No. 5 in the country,” Coach Freese said in a media availability Thursday.
For the Terrapins, they were given the title as the 17th best team in the tournament, and with a six-game winning streak in February, it wasn’t enough. Some would point to conference losses, such as to Washington, Ohio State, and Oregon, and to an early exit from the Big Ten Tournament, as factors in not being in the Top 16.
The season for the Terrapins has shown a lot of ups and downs, but they have responded no matter the win or loss. “For us, it’s locking in on our defense. We’re also No. 12 in the country in scoring, so a lot of offense.” Freese Said. The key for this Tournament run will be Saylor Poffenbarger and Yarden Garzon. The two seniors, who have been staples and leaders of the Terrapin team, take this team as far as they can.
“I would just say getting back to the Maryland identity: Defending, rebounding, and running. When we go to our core values and play Maryland standard, we look great and play really well together. So getting back to that and remembering who we are and what we’re really good at. And we are really good at rebounding, really good when we get out in transition and we’re playing together. So just making sure we get back to that and defending the Maryland way.” Senior Saylor Poffenbarger put into perspective what to expect for Friday’s game.
Let’s preview the game.
- Know Thy Opponent. Murray State Racers
The Racers are coming off a 15-game winning streak. This team has yet to lose a game at home or on a neutral site. Sunday was a high for the Racers as they won the Missouri Valley Conference. For the second year in a row, the 2026 MVC Coach of the Year, Rechelle Turner, has been building.
- What controls the game? Offense or Experience?
Murray State is the fifth-scoring offense in the nation. Who are the other four? You guessed it: LSU, UConn, Oklahoma, and South Carolina. The Racers have three Juniors who all lead the team in double-digit scoring, live by the three. They have attempted more than three-pointers (332) compared to their opponents and can control the pace by getting to the foul line 24 times, shooting under 80% from the free-throw line.
Maryland, on the other hand, has the advantage of experience. There are four players with NCAA experience (Poffenbarger, Mir McLean, Garzon, and Oluchi Okananwa), but here is the kicker: the Terps have three who did redshirt and will debut in their first NCAA tournament: Kyndal Walker, Isimenme Ozzy-Momodu, and Breanna Williams. Addi Mack and Rainey Welson will make their NCAA debut. If you do the math, 24 games of experience.
Murray State’s size might be an issue, with five players, mostly their wing players, over six feet tall. Their guard play is under 6’0”, which might be an advantage for the Terps.
- How will you make this dance memorable?
The last few years have seen great players who have come through the University of Maryland, College Park. Players such as Diamond Miller, Abby Meyers, Brinae Alexander, Sarah Te-Biasu, Jakia Brown-Turner, Allie Kubek, and Amari Debarry. This senior group, and next year’s group emotionally will be the toughest to not get emotional about for Poffenbarger, McLean who started their Career together at UConn, and being Terrapins as the college chapter ends it could be a storybook ending. Yarden Garzon, who had her lone season, was an impactful player for her five years. All three ladies this season had their moments, but no matter the outcome, they also left it all on the floor.
The No. 5-seeded Maryland women’s basketball team (23-8) will take on 12th-seeded Murray State (31-3) in the NCAA First Round Friday at 3 p.m. at Carmichael Arena in Chapel Hill, N.C. Friday’s game will be televised on ESPNU and the ESPN app.
The winner of Friday’s game will take on the winner of No. 4 seed North Carolina and No. 13 Western Illinois on Sunday at Carmichael Arena.
Final Score Prediction: Maryland 89, Murray State 74
