Maryland bounces back from loss to Michigan State in a big way.
COLLEGE PARK, MD — The Maryland Terrapins (16-2, 5-2 Big Ten) defeated the Penn State Nittany Lions (9-9, 2-5 Big Ten) 79-67 in yet another scrappy, tense Big Ten affair on Sunday afternoon.
The game was short on style points on both ends of the floor, but the Terps were able to bounce back from their ugly loss at Michigan State last week thanks to a fourth-quarter push led by stand-out freshmen Shakira Austin (13 points, 10 rebounds) and Taylor Mikesell (23p, 6r), who combined to score 13 of Maryland’s 22 fourth-quarter points.
After the first quarter, it looked like this might be a rare stress-free win for Maryland. They led 21-8 after the first 10 minutes, thanks to a paltry 3-for-16 shooting performance from Penn State. Guard Teniya Page — who came into the game averaging 20.2 points per game, the second-most in the Big Ten — was held out of the starting lineup and relegated to the bench for the first six minutes of the game for breaking a team rule. Without Page, the Lions were completely lost offensively.
However, Page (20p, 5r) gave the Lions the spark they needed, and the Lions orchestrated a second-quarter offensive explosion, in which they outscored the Terps 27-14, making things an even 35-35 at the half. Midway through the third quarter, Maryland looked in legitimate trouble, down 48-44. However, the veteran trio of Brianna Fraser (13p, 2r), Kaila Charles (19p, 9r), and Stephanie Jones (6p, 5r) spurred a 13-3 run to end the quarter, and the Terps never looked back. Here’s what we learned from Sunday afternoon’s game: