Maryland women’s basketball vs. Indiana preview: Terps face another road test

Maryland women’s basketball is back on the road Sunday, as the No. 3 Terps visit Indiana on Super Bowl Sunday.

This will be Maryland’s third road game in four contests, but Brenda Frese’s team hasn’t had much trouble so far away from College Park. The Terps are coming off an 85-70 win at Purdue, and they picked up a 94-49 win at Illinois last week. They’re looking to improve to 11-0 in the Big Ten and 23-1 overall.

Indiana is one of the most experienced teams in the Big Ten, starting three seniors and two juniors. The Hoosiers are 3-1 at home in the conference, with the only loss coming to Ohio State. Their last game was a 69-60 road loss to Michigan State. Indiana has never beaten Maryland in three previous matchups.

The game tips of at noon ET on ESPN2.

Indiana Hoosiers (15-7, 5-4 Big Ten)

2015-16 record: 21-12, 12-6

Head coach: Teri Moren is in her third season in Bloomington and has a 51-35 record with the Hoosiers. She’s spent her entire coaching career in the state, with previous stops at Indianapolis and Indiana State.

Players to know

Tyra Buss, junior, guard, 5’8, No. 3. Buss became the first Indiana player in a decade to earn First Team All-Big Ten honors last season, and she’s one of the premier scoring guards in the Big Ten. She averages a team-high 19 points on the strength of a .443/.368/.816 shooting line, while also dishing out 4.8 assists per game. Her average of 2.5 steals is tied for second in the conference behind Northwestern’s Ashley Deary.

Amanda Cahill, junior, forward, 6’2, No. 33. Puts up an impressive 15 points and nine rebounds per game. Cahill can score from both inside and out, and she’ll be a tough task for the Terps’ frontcourt.

Alexis Gassion, senior, guard, 5’11, No. 23. The most prominent of the three senior starters averages 13.3 points and 4.7 boards in 37.6 minutes. She also barely trails Buss for the team lead in assists, with 4.6 a night.

Strength

Foul shooting. The Hoosiers get to the line over 20 times a game and shoot 73 percent as a team. All five of their starters are at 70 percent or higher, with Buss the most efficient at 81.6 percent.

Weakness

Rim protection. Indiana is next-to-last in the Big Ten with 2.9 blocks per game. The Hoosiers have swatted just 21 shots in nine conference games. However, they do have a 6’3 center in senior Jenn Anderson.

Prediction

Maryland wins, 82-70.