When Friday’s second game at the Birmingham 2 Regional tipped off, it brought two respected coaches face to face: South Carolina’s Dawn Staley and Maryland’s Brenda Frese. Both coaches have previously lifted national titles, and this matchup determined who would move on to the Elite Eight.
The battle on the court lived up to expectations, filled with intensity and several momentum changes. Maryland found themselves ahead by a point with just over three minutes to play, hoping to pull off a stunning win.
RelatedPosts
However, top-seeded South Carolina turned up their defense, keeping Maryland from scoring for a full three minutes. That defensive stretch proved crucial, helping the Gamecocks secure a narrow 71-67 victory.
With the result, South Carolina advanced to the Elite Eight for the fifth season in a row and is aiming to reach its fifth straight Final Four. Coach Staley gave credit to her team’s defensive foundation. “This is how we usually defend,” she said.
“If we had stayed consistent from the beginning, maybe we would’ve held a better lead. At that point though, we had to focus and respond properly.” Sophomore MiLaysia Fulwiley led all players in scoring with 23 points, dropping 16 of those in the second half, while also recording five rebounds and three assists.
Junior Chloe Kitts also had a solid outing, finishing with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Maryland’s Kaylene Smikle led her side with 17 points, standing out among the four Terrapins who hit double-digit scoring.
Maryland Pushes Through a Challenging Week
The kind of week Maryland just experienced would have been exhausting for any program. Their game against Alabama in the round of 32 went to overtime, ending 111-108, and not long after that marathon contest, they had to head to Birmingham for a showdown against one of the toughest teams in the country.
Coach Frese explained how demanding the schedule had been. “We had players who nearly played the full 50 minutes in that last game,” she said on Thursday. “Our coaching staff had to work non-stop with scouting duties, especially since the transfer portal opened Tuesday too.
The players had barely any rest, and we had to jump back into practice right after. A lot has happened quickly.” Still, Maryland managed to hold their own, playing with energy and refusing to be intimidated by South Carolina. They stayed toe-to-toe throughout and carried themselves with increasing belief.
Frese’s teams are known for being tough, and that trait came through again on Friday, although the group came up short toward the end when South Carolina hit just enough shots, while Maryland’s offense dried up.
Their performance from the foul line also dropped slightly below their usual level. They made 13 out of 18 free throws, which comes out to 72.2 percent, a little less than their season average of 78 percent. That minor drop mattered in a game this close.
“We followed the plan exactly how we prepared for it,” said Maryland guard Shyanne Sellers. “What made the difference were the missed free throws and a few times we couldn’t stop them late in the game.”
