Three takeaways from Maryland’s season opener
Maryland prevailed in its opener.
COLLEGE PARK, MD—The Maryland Lady Terps scorched the Coppin State Eagles, 93-36, to win their first game of the 2018-2019 season.
Head coach Brenda Frese was pleased with the win.
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“It was great to get so many players on the floor and involved,” Frese said following the game. “You can see the potential of this team with our veterans and our young players. The impact is us growing together as a team. When you look at our unselfishness, we assisted on over 66 percent of our buckets. Our offensive rebounding was tremendous with us being plus 30 on the glass. I thought the inside-outside presence we were able to establish was clearly seen through Shakira and Stephanie [Jones]. We were really clicking on all cylinders.”
Here are three takeaways from the game:
Shakira Austin and Taylor Mikesell led the way
Freshman Shakira Austin and Taylor Mikesell combined for 30 points and 24 rebounds Friday night. Austin contributed 21 rebounds in the win, while Mikesell had a game-high 18 points. This game showed that these two are fearless and they are not afraid to scrap and fight for the ball. Mikesell came out the gate shooting, and looks to be a three-point threat for the Terps, hitting four of ten from deep. Austin defensive aggressiveness, combined with her very long arms, will give future opponents plenty of trouble.
Turnovers were low
The biggest kryptonite for Maryland in recent seasons has been turnovers. The Lady Terps, after finishing in the top 50 in the country in turnover percentage each of the past two seasons, saw their seasons end when they committed uncharacteristically high numbers of them in a pair of NCAA tournament losses. Friday night, the Terps only had eight turnovers, while scoring 27 points off of Coppin State’s 20 turnovers.
It is too early to determine how the turnovers will be, but this is a step forward early in the season. This Big Ten Conference has significant backcourt depth this season, so the Terps cannot afford to mishandle the ball. Friday night provided a positive indicator in that regard.
The bench is deep
The bench scored 34 points in the victory, a marker of this team’s ability to score on opponents with its second unit. One bench player (for now) was Blair Watson, returning from last season’s season-ending injury. Watson put up seven points, along with Austin’s 12, and Sarah Meyers’ seven points.
The Terps still only have 10 players on the roster, so every player contributing is crucial moving forward. If Friday night is any indication, Frese should be able to call on these reserves all season.