Reese Scores 18, No. 8 Maryland Women Beat Rutgers 74-59
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — Angel Reese scored 18 points to lead No. 8 Maryland over Rutgers 74-59 on Sunday.
Katie Benzan added 15 points, Chloe Bibby had 14 and Ashley Owusu 12 for Maryland (7-2, 1-0 Big Ten).
Shug Dickson scored 18 points for Rutgers (4-6, 0-1), which has lost five straight. Lasha Petree had 11 and Tyia Singleton and Osh Brown each had 10.
Brown's layup midway through the fourth quarter brought Rutgers within 56-52. The Terrapins scored the next seven points to stay in control.
Sayawni Lassiter responded with a straightaway 3 for Rutgers, but Maryland managed the clock in the final four minutes. The Terrapins began to methodically bring the ball up the court, forcing the Scarlet Knights into fouling.
Mimi Collins, Reese, and Benzan each made two free throws in the final 3:47.
The Terrapins led 38-23 at the end of a first half in which they never trailed. Bibby opened the game with a layup 13 seconds into the first quarter, and Maryland extended its lead 26-16 on Reese's layup two minutes into the second quarter.
BIG PICTURE
Maryland: The first of two regular-season matchups between the teams revealed the difference between an experienced group and an unexperienced one. Maryland entered the 2021-22 season by returning all five starters from 2020-21 and 10 players overall. The Terrapins did not panic when Rutgers outscored them 21-14 in the third quarter and cut Maryland's lead to 52-44.
Rutgers: The 2021-22 Scarlet Knights are likely going to be a season-long work in progress. That is what happens when seven players transfer into the program and Hall of Fame coach C. Vivian Stringer extends a leave of absence due to COVID-19 precautions. So there will be growing pains as the current iteration of the Scarlet Knights learn how to play together. Such as Sunday in which Rutgers committed 19 turnovers.
UP NEXT
Maryland: Hosts Purdue on Wednesday.
Rutgers: Travels to Penn State on Thursday.