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No. 3 Maryland women’s basketball took care of Indiana on the road Sunday, defeating the Hoosiers 92-56.
Shatori Walker-Kimbrough led all scorers with 23 points, and fellow senior Brionna Jones had 17 points and 14 rebounds for her 16th double-double of the season. Two freshmen joined them in double figures. Destiny Slocum had 18 points and six assists, and Kaila Charles added 11 points.
The Terps dominated the Hoosiers in nearly every statistical category. They shot 58 percent compared to Indiana’s 32 percent, and the Hoosiers were well below their season average of 80 points per game.
Amanda Cahill was the only Indiana player in double figures, finishing with 16 points and nine rebounds. Maryland did a great job on Tyra Buss, holding the junior to just seven points on 2-of-17 shooting. It was the first time in 59 games that Buss didn’t score in double figures.
Indiana tried to run in transition at the start and it was effective, as the two teams were tied 9-9 after the first 4:30. But Maryland took over, going on a 27-4 run to take a 36-13 lead. The Hoosiers went 2-of-18 over that stretch and didn’t score for almost six minutes at one point in the first half, while Maryland shot 10-of-14.
Buss was a non-factor for most of the half, as she didn’t score until a layup with 3:45 to go in the second quarter. The junior was still able to get to the rim, but couldn’t finish around the Terps’ bigs.
Indiana made seven of its next nine and put a small dent in Maryland’s lead, cutting it to 46-27 at the half.
Then the Hoosiers went cold again, going without a basket for 5:22 at the end of the first and the beginning of the second half. Maryland built the lead to 74-36 after three quarters, with Walker-Kimbrough hitting a ridiculous three-quarter court shot as time expired.
Are. You. Kidding. Me. Shatori Walker-Kimbrough hits this at the third quarter buzzer. #Terps lead 74-36. Wow. pic.twitter.com/ZnOy3bx1NA
— Connor Newcomb (@ConnorNewcomb_) February 5, 2017
The lead stretched to 41 points early in the fourth. Head coach Brenda Frese emptied the bench shortly thereafter, and Maryland cruised to an 11th straight win. The Terps are now 23-1, the best start in program history.
Three things to know
1. Maryland took away what Indiana does best. Indiana came into the game as one of the most offensively efficient teams and one of the best teams at drawing fouls in the Big Ten. You wouldn’t know it from watching today, as the Terps held the Hoosiers to 32 percent shooting and just 10 free-throw attempts.
2. Maryland made Tyra Buss miserable. Maryland has struggled against dynamic guards in Big Ten play, but completely smothered Buss. The All-Big Ten junior struggled to finish around the rim and to get to the foul line, which took her out of the game.
3. The Terps’ defense has improved recently. If the past three halves are a sign, Maryland’s defense may be trending up. The Terps held Purdue to 35 percent shooting in the second half and the Indiana to 32 percent for the game Sunday.