Miller, Terrapins trounce Hoosiers in Big Ten semis
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Freshman Diamond Miller scored 15 points and classmate Ashley Owusu added 14 to help No. 6 Maryland beat 20th-ranked Indiana 66-51 on Saturday night in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals.
Kaila Charles finished with 11 points and eight rebounds for the Terrapins, who extended their winning streak to 16, the last 11 coming by double figures.
The Terrapins (27-4) broke open a tightly contested affair with a 17-0 run in the third quarter. While pushing their lead from 28-26 to 45-26, they held Indiana (24-8) scoreless on 10 consecutive possessions.
Indiana leading scorer Ali Patberg finished with 16 points, matching her average, but endured a 6-of-21 shooting night. The Hoosiers shot 33% as a team.
Offense proved particularly difficult to come by in a first half that ended with Maryland ahead 28-24.
Patberg, who had 11 points in the half on 4-of-12 shooting, rattled home a 3-pointer to tie the score at 21 midway through the second quarter.
Maryland responded with a 7-0 run consisting of shots in the lane by Miller and Owusu and a three-point play by Shakira Austin off of a fast-break opportunity. The Hoosiers went scoreless on seven straight trips during that sequence.
BIG PICTURE
Indiana: The Hoosiers are 0-10 all time against Maryland and must figure out a way to solve the Terps in order to further ascend the conference hierarchy.
Maryland: The Terrapins showed once more how their height and length bother opposing offenses. Indiana entered shooting 47% from the field this season but never looked comfortable in a half-court setting against Maryland.
STAT PACK
Indiana: Grace Berger finished with 10 points, seven assists and six boards. … The Hoosiers’ largest lead was at 9-7 on a first-quarter 3-pointer by Patberg. … They shot 4 for 19 as a team from 3.
Maryland: Held Indiana’s Jaelynn Penn and Brenna Wise, who entered averaging 19 points combined, to nine between them. … Improved to 15-2 all time at the Big Ten tournament. … Seeking to win the tourney for a fourth time.
UP NEXT
Indiana: Will wait to find out their NCAA Tournament draw when the bracket is revealed March 16.
Maryland: Advance to Sunday’s Big Ten championship game to face the winner of Saturday night’s Michigan-Ohio State contest.
