With March fast approaching, No. 14 Maryland women’s basketball is in its best form of the season. The Terps will meet Northwestern on the heels of five straight victories, with their most recent match being a blowout of Purdue on Senior Day.
The Wildcats are wedged in the middle of a span of three games in a week for Maryland. It will finish its regular season on the road against No. 8 Michigan.
Wednesday’s action will tip off at 6:30 p.m. and stream on Big Ten Plus.
Northwestern Wildcats (8-19, 2-14 Big Ten)
Northwestern is in competition with Rutgers and Penn State to avoid finishing last in the Big Ten. The Wildcats won their first six games against low-level opponents before suffering a 10-game losing streak. They ended that dismal stretch with their two Big Ten wins in back-to-back games. However, they’re in the midst of a now-nine game losing streak — they will try to snap it with an upset in College Park.
Head coach Joe McKeown seems to be aided by low expectations in Evanston, as he has made just two NCAA tournaments across his first 17 seasons. He won’t be adding to that total in his 18th.
Players to watch
Grace Sullivan, senior forward, 6-foot-4, No. 22 — Sullivan is more than capable of causing the Terps some problems down low, averaging 21.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. She also frequently uses her size to get to the line, where she’s a capable foul shooter at 76%. Maryland might be shorthanded in the front court without Isi Ozzy-Momodu, so Sullivan will be a matchup to watch.
Caroline Lau, senior guard, 5-foot-9, No. 7 — Lau is an exciting true point guard and the best facilitator in the Big Ten, averaging a league-leading 8.4 assists per game. She is a capable scorer when needed, racking up an identical 8.4 points per game. Her biggest danger to the Terps will be her ability to draw defenders and find shooters or Sullivan inside.
Tayla Thomas, sophomore forward, 6-foot-3, No. 23 — Thomas is another frontcourt weapon for the Wildcats. She’s somewhat inconsistent in her contributions but is developing into an all-around post player. She averages 10.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and over one block per game. She’s fresh off a 25-point outburst against a solid Illinois team in Northwestern’s last contest.
Strength
Ball movement. For an offense that is second-to-last in the Big Ten in points per game, a high percentage of Northwestern’s points come from assists. The Wildcats have more assists per game than the Terps at 17.6. This is mostly thanks to Lau, who contributes almost half of those on average.
Weakness
Defense. Similar to Maryland’s last opponent in Purdue, Northwestern does not appear equipped to slow Maryland down defensively at all. The Wildcats are second-worst in the Big Ten in scoring defense at 76.1 points allowed per game, and have been even worse against conference opponents. They will have to hope for an offensive outburst to keep pace with Maryland, unless the Terps have an outlier night of offensive struggles.
Three things to watch
1. Postseason implications. With just two regular season games left, Maryland is currently on the heels of Michigan State and Minnesota in the Big Ten standings. The Terps currently sit in sixth place, but could potentially get as high as a No. 4-seed, which would secure them a double-bye in the Big Ten Tournament.
2. Ozzy-Momodu’s health. Ozzy-Momodu remains day-to-day with a lower-leg injury, so it remains to be seen if she will make an appearance against Northwestern. It seems unlikely, given that Frese will not be looking to take any chances and would rather have her post player available for Michigan and the ensuing conference tournament.
3. Potential last home game. As of right now, Maryland looks to be in line to host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. However, this is the last guaranteed home game the Terps have in the Xfinity Center this year. For Saylor Poffenbarger, Yarden Garzon and Mir McLean, that would mean it is the last time they will ever play in front of the Maryland home crowd.