NFL
By: Nathan Snell
Monday night, Maryland Women’s Basketball starts the 2025-2026 season with its first victory of the season. The Terrapins defeated the Loyola (MD) Greyhounds 80-29.
For the first game of the season, the Lady Terrapins got a lot of production. After a first quarter where the team struggled offensively, they found their groove over the next three quarters.
Nathan’s Breakdown
Maryland Depth’s put everyone on notice
Last season, Coach Frese played the first-year students for 178 minutes. Most of those minutes came from Ava McKennie and Kyndal Walker (Before her injury).
Monday, 100 minutes were spent between the returning redshirt players and first-year students. All five freshmen played, as did the 2024 first-year class. Last season, in context, the Terrapins lacked depth due to injuries, and some would say it was a matter of trust. This current team is deeper. While Bri McDaniel and Kaylene Smikle recover from their injuries, 13 players contributed to the win.
The one question that lingers, even before the season starts. How would minutes, etc., be allocated among this group?
The Terrapins may have the best defensive group.
Maryland allowed the fewest points in a game since Brenda Frese became a head coach, and dating back to the 1974 season, now, in fairness to Loyola, they were little giants, but a team shooting 20% from the field is embarrassing. Scoring 11 points in the first quarter, and the Greyhounds scored only 15 points…allowing 29 apple turnovers, and 18 times their pocket was picked. Lastly, allowing 35 points of those turnovers.
Many outsiders have criticized the lack of presence. But the Terps have the depth, Saylor Poffenbarger, Isimenme Ozzy-Momodu, and Marya Boiko, who were big at the rim and aggressive.
The Terrapins’ offensive approach showed good results.
Maybe this offensive approach was due to Loyola’s playing style, or there is more of an emphasis on ball movement with pace.
The Terps took a lot of layups and three-point shots. The offense for the most part was balanced. The team without Smikle and McDaniel was able to score 80 points, and 11 different players did just that.
