COLLEGE PARK, MD – Maryland women’s basketball defeated Towson, 99-51, on Tuesday's Field Trip Day at XFINITY Center. Sophomore guard Bri McDaniel notched a career day in front of 14,994 screaming fans who made up over 70 local elementary schools to attend the game.
Maryland’s annual event took place in front of a season-high crowd. The attendance was the largest since Maryland sold out (17,950) in its 2016 game against UConn.
McDaniel tied her career-high of 19 points to lead all scorers. She matched her previous mark of 19 points against Green Bay on Nov. 24. She also added a career-best six assists to her stat line.
The win was Maryland’s sixth in a row overall and 17th straight at home, dating back to a Dec. 11, 2022 win over UConn. The Terps also improved to 19-5 all-time against Towson and defeated head coach Laura Harper, who played under Brenda Frese from 2005-08.
The Terps (8-3) had one of their best starts to any game this season by allowing a season-low 15 first-half points. They mounted an early 11-1 lead and never looked back by regularly forcing turnovers and pushing the ball in transition.
Redshirt junior forward Allie Kubek added 17 points against her former team. She played for Towson from 2020-22.
Maryland’s defense led a dominant effort by forcing 14 turnovers and capping Towson to a 26
Patricia Anumgba led Towson (7-2) with 15 points.
Coach Frese’s Take
“It was obviously really special to be able to bring Laura Harper back home. I know we played them when she was at Coppin State and then last year, we played Towson down in Florida, but this one was even more special, being able to bring her back home with her team and especially the standard that she set for the program.”
From the Girls
“I think we definitely feed off that energy,” Brinae Alexander said of the field trip day atmosphere. “Even though it could be kind of chaotic, I think it also prepares us for those tough road games where it's really loud and packed. But no, I think we would definitely feed off their energy and I think it's fun to set an example for the little kids and to inspire them through our play.”
“I think what I'm most proud of for Bri is her composure,” Alexander said of McDaniel’s play. “I think taking on that point guard roll, sometimes it's easy to get sped up. But just knowing how to stay poised and know time in place and when we need to push or when we need to settle and run a play. So I think she's been doing really well staying composed and not getting too high or too low but just staying the course.”
Breaking Down The Action
• Maryland opened the game with an 11-1 run led by McDaniel’s nine points. Towson head coach Laura Harper proceeded to call a timeout at the 6:01 mark after the sophomore guard made her first four shots from the floor.
• The Terps led 23-8 at the end of the first quarter and ended the period on a 6-0 run. The Terps scored more than half of their points in the paint and held the Tigers to 3-13 from the floor (23%).
• Maryland accumulated a 25-point advantage sparked by a 13-2 run at the 4:45 mark of the second. It also stifled Towson’s offense for the entire of the quarter, only allowing seven points.
• Maryland entered halftime with a 46-15 lead and McDaniel led all scorers with 15 points. Kubek trailed with 13 first half points. Each Terp missed just one shot from the floor in the half.
• Brinae Alexander joined McDaniel and Kubek as the three Terps to reach double figures by knocking down a 3-pointer at the 4:05 mark in the third quarter. However, Towson scored 25 points in the quarter, nearly doubling its first half total.
• The Terps led by as much as 48 with 31 secondsremaining in the game.
Home Win Streak Continues
• Maryland has now won 17 straight home games, dating back to a Dec. 11, 2022 win over UConn, one year ago to the day.
• Maryland is 307-44 (.875) at home under Brenda Frese, whose first season in College Park was the inaugural season of XFINITY Center. That is among the top 10 toughest places to play in the country.
• The Terrapins are 171-12 (.935) all-time in non-conference games in XFINITY Center.
• Maryland won its 600th all-time home game on Saturday. The Terps are now 601-139 in College Park since the start of the program in 1971-72. Maryland has a remarkable 81.3 win percentage in home games all-time.
• The Terps have now won 307 games at XFINITY Center and 294 at Cole Field House.
Double-Figure Factors
• McDaniel tallied her career-high tying 19 points for her fifth game this season and seventh in her career in double-figures.
• Kubek scored in double-figures for the fifth time this season with 17 points. She has now scored 10-plus points in 38 career games with 33 coming at Towson prior to transferring to Maryland.
• Alexander netted 11 points for her sixth game this season in double-digits and 61st in her career.
Records Watch
• Brinae Alexander has made 98 three-pointers in her two years as a Terrapin, which is No. 20 in the Terps' career record book. She needs to make four to pass Terri Daniels (101 from 2000-03) at No. 19.
• Alexander's Maryland career three-point percentage is 43.0%, which is third in Maryland history, behind just Shatori Walker-Kimbrough (45.9%) and Katie Benzan (47.4%).
• Senior Faith Masonius is now one shy of her 500th career rebound. She now has 499 in his career as a Terp after grabbing three in the game.
Terps Dominating The Series
• Tuesday's matchup was the 24th all-time between Maryland and Towson, with the Terps owning the series at 19-5.
• Maryland has won nine straight meetings with Towson, dating back to 2010.
• The Terps took last year's meeting, 81-70, on Nov. 26, 2022 in the Fort Myers Tip-Off.
Harp Returns
• Towson head coach Laura Harper played for Brenda Frese at Maryland from 2005-08 and was the Final Four Most Outstanding Player when the Terrapins won the 2006 NCAA title. Harper finished her Maryland career with 1,407 career points, 873 rebounds and is the Terps' all-time leader in blocks with 198. Her jersey is honored in the rafters of the XFINITY Center.
Numbers To Know
• 6: Bri McDaniel set a career-high with six assists, besting her previous high of five vs. Syracuse earlier this year.
• 8: Emily Fisher equaled her career-high in rebounds with eight, tying her mark of eight vs. George Mason this season.
• 15: Maryland held Towson to 15 first-half points, its fewest by an opponent this season and lowest since holding Nebraska to 14 last season on Jan. 22, 2023.
• 19: The Terps are now 19-5 all-time against Towson.
• 21: The Terps have now won 21 games in a row when leading at the half.
• 58: Shyanne Sellers added to her total of made free throws with three in the game, giving her 58, which is fifth in the nation.
• 98: Brinae Alexander now has 98 three-pointers in her career, to stand 20th all-time triples made.
• 499: Faith Masonius is one shy of 500 career rebounds after grabbing three in the game.
• 14,994: The attendance of 14,994 is the 12th-highest all-time at XFINITY Center for women’s basketball and largest since a sell-out attendance of 17,950 against UConn in 2016.
Up Next
• The Terps return to action on Wednesday, Dec. 20as James Madison comes to XFINITY Center for a 2 p.m. tip. That game airs on B1G+.
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