No. 4-seed Maryland women’s basketball survived a tough battle against No. 13-seed Norfolk State, 82-69, to secure its spot in the Round of 32, but head coach Brenda Frese and the Terps don’t have much time to reflect.
They will be forced to move on instantly to No. 5-seed Alabama Monday, who defeated No. 12-seed Green Bay, 81-67, immediately prior to Maryland’s win.
“[Alabama is a] really strong SEC opponent, another team that has nothing but seniors and grad seniors,” Frese said. “They can shoot the three, they’re tough, there’s a lot of size, both with the four guards that play and the inside presence.”
Monday’s game will tip at 5 p.m. EDT and be broadcast on ESPN 2.
Alabama Crimson Tide (24-8, 10-7 SEC)
The Crimson Tide had a dominant nonconference run, starting its season 10-0 before losing its only out of conference game to Cal, 69-65.
The SEC presented a much tougher challenge, though, as the Tide dropped six regular games in conference play and were bounced in the first round of the SEC Tournament.
Similarly to Maryland, their double-digit seed opponent gave them a run for their money in the opening round, before they eventually pulled away to win by 14 points.
Maryland and Alabama have played three common opponents. Both defeated Michigan State and Norfolk State, and lost handily to Texas.
Players to Watch
Sarah Ashlee Barker, 6-foot graduate guard, No. 3 — Barker is a Birmingham, Alabama, native who has been pacing the Tide in her final season of college basketball. She is a versatile threat who can score on all three levels and simultaneously leads the Tide in steals (2.0) and rebounds per game (6.3). She also averages 3.9 assists per contest.
Zaay Green, 6-foot-2 graduate guard, No. 14 — Green is an oversized guard capable of imposing her will on opposing defenses, which she did on Sunday against Green Bay. In Alabama’s win, she put up 22 points and dished out five assists. She is one of multiple threats from deep, shooting 36.6%. She is in her seventh season of college basketball and will turn 25 the day after Maryland and Alabama’s game.
Aaliyah Nye, 6-foot graduate guard, No. 32 — Nye possesses a similar profile to Barker and Green, a guard with great size who has good range. Maryland fans may remember her from her time at Illinois, where she holds the record for most made threes in a Big Ten game. Out of all Illinois’s 3-point threats, she is the most dangerous, shooting 45.4%.
Strength
Three-point shooting. Only two teams in the country shoot the three at a better clip than Alabama’s 38.6%. The Tide are selective with the threes they put up, but they often hurt teams from behind the arc, making close to nine per game. Maryland will have to be extremely disciplined in its perimeter defense, something they struggled with at times against Norfolk State.
Weakness
Rebounding. Despite having good length, the Tide are not a particularly strong rebounding team with a margin of just +2.5. While this may not normally be a significant weakness, it could be an area that the Terps, who are 13th in the country in rebounding margin (+8.4), can exploit. Saylor Poffenbarger, Maryland’s best rebounder, still seems to be battling an ankle injury, but if she can play significant minutes, expect her to be a factor on the glass.
Three Things to Watch
1. Shyanne Sellers last stand. Win or lose, Monday will be Sellers’ final game at Xfinity Center. She will look to go out with a bang and send her team to her third sweet 16 in four years at Maryland. She overcame a slow start against Norfolk State to put up 12 points, three assists and two steals.
2. Can Maryland get more from the bench? One abnormal thing about Maryland’s victory over the Spartans was that it managed just six bench points, all from Mir McLean. Frese didn’t use Emily Fisher or Amari DeBerry, and Poffenbarger wasn’t a factor, sitting the entire second half.
3. Will Sarah Te-Biasu stay hot. One common factor in Maryland’s best performances since Bri McDaniel’s injury has been strong showings from Te-Biasu. She powered Maryland in the first round, knocking down six threes and providing a massive second half spark. If she can help pace Maryland offensively, it will be a massive boost in their chances to make the Sweet 16.
