NCAAW: Maryland’s 2OT victory might be the best win of the season

It took a double-digit comeback and two overtimes, but No. 7 Maryland—some way, somehow—is still undefeated. Someone check on Zack Ward.

First, a lockdown third quarter helped Maryland almost eliminate Minnesota’s once 15-point advantage, putting the Terrapins down by just four points entering the final frame. The home team, however, did not go quietly, as a late and-1 by senior guard Amaya Battle sent the contest into overtime. As the extra five minutes wound down, the Gophers appeared poised to gut out the win over their ranked and undefeated foe, leading by five points with under 20 seconds remaining.

Then, the Maryland magic kicked in.

Senior guard Yarden Garzon hit a 3-pointer. After the Terps stole the inbound pass, Garzon converted a tough layup to tie the game, leaving the Gophers resorting to a wayward heave that guaranteed a second overtime.

The additional extra time, featured a similar, yet even more improbable, script.

Minnesota seemed on the verge of avoiding a complete collapse. After junior guard Grace Grocholski hit her ninth 3 of the game, junior guard Maura Braun made a pair of free throws and Battle hit two more free throws, the Gophers were up 97-88 with just over a minute remaining. Freshman guard Addi Mack scored a quick layup for the Terrapins, but two more freebies from Braun had Minnesota back up by nine, 99-90, as the clocked ticked under a minute.

Following two free throws from senior forward Saylor Poffenbarger, freshman guard Kyndal Walker stole Minnesota’s inbound pass and scored a layup with the foul. She made the free throw to cut the margin to four, 99-95, with 37 seconds on the clock.

Junior guard Oluchi Okananwa then got in on the fun, stealing another inbound pass, making another layup with the foul and hitting another free throw.

The Terrapins had just authored their own “8 Points 9 Seconds” moment, putting them down by one point, 99-98, with 35 seconds still on the clock.

An empty possession by the Gophers gave the Terrapins the ball with 12 seconds left and a chance seal their storybook comeback. Poffenbarger, who finished with a career-high 30 points, did the honors, scoring the game-winning layup. Minnesota could not muster a threatening final attempt, allowing Maryland to escape 100-99.

Poffenbarger grabbed 10 boards to go with her career-high 30 points. Okananwa finished with 25 points and eights boards. Minnesota native Mack contributed 16 points, eight boards and six assists. Garzon, who played all 50 minutes, put up 15 points, nine assists and seven rebounds.

The victory was a testament to the Terrapins’ resiliency, a resiliency they will have to maintain moving forward. Before the game, senior guard Kaylene Smikle announced that she has decided to undergo season-ending knee surgery, robbing the Terrapins’ of last season’s leading scorer.

Zack had just written that, if Maryland wants to consider themselves among the sport’s true contenders, they needed to prove more. That task, without Smikle and with senior wing Bri McDaniel not yet back, becomes all the more tougher.

Sunday’s win, however, inspires confidence that the Terps can—some way, somehow—do it.

Wisconsin, K-State cause Michigan State, Ole Miss to stumble

Two other favored undefeateds failed to find their own magic.

Elsewhere in the Big Ten, Wisconsin stalled the previously-potent Michigan State offense, holding the No. 20 Spartans to 64 points to win 78-64. Michigan State had averaged 96.4 points per game, the second-most in the nation. The Spartans’ 5-for-22 (23 percent) effort from behind the arc also was far from their standard, as they had averaged over 10 made 3s per game on 43.2 percent shooting.

The Badgers were led by double-doubles from Gift Okeke and Ronnie Porter. Okeke, a senior forward from Nigeria, had 14 points and 15 rebounds, while Porter, a senior guard who stands all of 5-foot-2, grabbed 11 boards to go with her 12 points and eight assists.

In an SEC-Big 12 affair, five-loss Kansas State handed No. 13 Ole Miss their first L, as freshman guard Brandie Harrod recovered from what looked like a lost opportunity to hit the game-winning layup with less than one second remaining, giving the Wildcats the 61-60 win.

The Rebels shot poorly from the field (32 percent), from 3 (17 percent) and, most damagingly, the foul line (69 percent). The Wildcats, in contrast, were 19-for-21 (90 percent) from the free throw line, helping them prevail despite 21 turnovers. Another freshman, guard Jordan Speiser, led K-State in scoring, netting 19 points from off the bench. Junior guard Taryn Sides helped pace the Wildcats with 12 points and seven boards.