No. 16 Terps Drop Contest Against Oregon
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The No. 16 Maryland Terrapins women's basketball team was unable to end its three-game losing streak yesterday afternoon in front of the Xfinity Center faithful, falling 68-61 to the Oregon Ducks.
Despite Oluchi Okananwa dropping 27 points to lead all scorers, the fourth quarter saw Oregon (17-7, 5-6 Big Ten) outscore Maryland (17-6, 5-6 Big Ten) 24-11 en route to their third straight victory.
Okananwa, as predicted, responded well in this contest after finishing with six points in the last outing against Washington earlier in the week.
Okananwa shot efficiently from the floor, making 11-of-17 shots, while grabbing five rebounds with two assists and two steals. It was Okananwa's ninth time this season, finishing a contest with 20+ points.
The first quarter was a low-scoring affair, with many shots not falling either team's way. In the second quarter, the Ducks created some separation, leading 30-22 with 3:41 left.
However, the Terps responded well, carrying a 14-0 run into the half, led by Okananwa, who scored nine of the points to take a 36-30 lead.
Oregon tied and even retook the lead in the third quarter. Still, Maryland was able to clamp down defensively, forcing five turnovers, which helped them carry a six-point lead into the final quarter.
In the final frame, the Terps offense went cold, shooting 4-of-14 in the quarter. Oregon, on the other hand, scored 24 points behind Sofia Bell's 11 points and the team shooting a collective 8-of-11 from the field and 3-of-4 from the three-point line.
Freshman guard Addi Mack was the other lone Terp scoring in double figures with 17 points.
Saylor Poffenbarger and Yarden Garzon both had quiet nights, combining for five points on 2-of-11 shooting.
Ehis Etute was the leading scorer for Oregon, finishing with 26 points while also securing a double-double grabbing 11 boards. Bell chipped in with 16.
Key Team Stats
- Maryland shot 37% from the field (23-of-63) and 13% from three (2-of-15).
- Oregon outrebounded (39-35) and out-assisted (17-8) the Terps.
- The Terps forced 19 turnovers, scoring only 15 points off of them.
- Maryland had more fast-break points (16-4) and points in the paint (36-30) than Oregon.
- Oregon now leads the overall head-to-head series 3-1.
Up Next:
The Terps travel north to face off with the No. 13 Michigan State Spartans on Saturday at the Breslin Center with a start time slated for 6:30 p.m.
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Jaden's sports journalism career began at the College of Southern Maryland from 2022-2023, where he was brought in to cover baseball, softball, basketball, soccer, and volleyball at CSM. In late 2023, he began interning at the University of Maryland Athletics Department as a contributing writer to help develop feature stories and game recaps. He also creates his own sports media content on professional Washington teams with LegacyMaker Sports Network.