Despite hanging around for a majority of the game, Wisconsin (2-8 Big Ten, 11-11 overall) was unable to pull out a win and fell on the road to No. 10 Maryland (8-2, 19-2) 75-57 Thursday night.
The Badgers kept it close with Maryland in the first quarter, trailing just 19-18 at the close. Freshman forward Imani Lewis got things rolling for Wisconsin with four quick points, but redshirt senior Kelly Karlis soon took over as she closed out the first quarter with three made free-throws, totaling six points in the opening frame.
Karlis continued with her success into the second quarter with a quick jumper to take the lead for a short time. However, Maryland responded with haste as freshman guard Taylor Mikesell knocked down some threes and helped the Terrapins pull off an 8-0 run. Senior forward Marsha Howard snapped Maryland’s run with a quick layup but was unable to generate enough momentum to take back the lead, and Maryland finished the first half up 35-27.
Maryland junior guard Kaila Charles kicked off the third quarter with four consecutive points and stretched the Terrapins lead to 12, but Howard again stepped in to curtail their offensive spurt. Both teams exchanged points back and forth, until, with five minutes remaining, the Terrapins pushed the pace as Charles continued to put the ball in the basket. Sophomore guard Niya Beverley made her presence known in the final minute with a jumper and free-throw, but Wisconsin continued to fall behind Maryland at the end of third 52-41.
In the fourth quarter, Maryland completely took over. The Terrapins opened play with nine straight points to extend their lead to 20. Lewis made it back on the board for the Badgers with a two-pointer, but Maryland picked right back up where it left off. Wisconsin started strong but was unable to shut down Charles, who put up 22 points for the Terrapins.
Though the Badgers did not arrive at the outcome they had hoped for, there were areas on the floor where they greatly improved compared to previous games, such as scoring. Wisconsin had three players score in double digits. Lewis led the way with 14 points, followed by Howard and Karlis, each with 10. Lewis also led the team with nine rebounds.
The Badgers were able to keep it close for most of the game; however, Maryland’s three-point shooting was ultimately a big factor in Wisconsin’s loss. The Terrapins shot 58 percent from behind the arc, whereas the Badgers only mustered up a 27 percent showing for the night. Additionally, Maryland was able to out-work Wisconsin on the boards for a plus-11 advantage.
