No. 8 Maryland Holds Off No. 24 Minnesota in Thrilling 99-92 Victory

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — The No. 8 Maryland Terrapins survived a late surge from the No. 24 Minnesota Gophers to secure a 99-92 victory in a thrilling women’s basketball matchup Tuesday night at the Xfinity Center.

Maryland (16-1, 6-1 Big Ten) led by as many as 20 points with three minutes remaining, but Minnesota (16-2, 4-2 Big Ten) mounted a furious 16-0 run to cut the deficit to 93-89 with 36 seconds left. Annika Stewart’s three-pointer brought the Gophers within 95-92 with 20 seconds remaining, but Maryland’s Kaylene Smikle sealed the win with four clutch free throws in the final seconds.

The Terrapins were flawless from the free-throw line, going 21-for-21, and extended their winning streak to eight games against Minnesota. Shyanne Sellers led Maryland with a season-high 27 points, while Smikle added 19 points, including six critical free throws in the final minute.

“Great win for us to be able to get at home here as we open this stretch of games against four ranked teams,” Maryland coach Brenda Frese said. “Minnesota is second in the country in points allowed, so we knew they were going to be really good, battle, and be physical. Credit them—they never gave up and played until the very end.”

Minnesota, playing its first game as a Top 25 team since January 2019, was led by Amaya Battle with 19 points and Grace Grocholski with 16. Mallory Heyer contributed 15 points before fouling out in the final minutes, and Sophie Hart added 14 points.

The Gophers started strong, leading 19-17 after the first quarter, but Maryland took control in the second half with a 16-4 run to build a 60-46 lead. Despite Minnesota’s late rally, the Terrapins’ composure at the free-throw line proved decisive.

Maryland has now won 22 consecutive games when leading after three quarters. The victory marks a strong start to a challenging stretch for the Terrapins, who face four ranked opponents in their next games.