After beginning the season with 10 consecutive nonconference wins, No. 7 Maryland ladies’s basketball will obtain its first style of Large Ten play Sunday.
The Large Ten ladies’s basketball schedule is designed so that every group will play a convention recreation in early December within the midst of its nonconference slate. For the Terps, that comes within the type of their first street recreation of the season towards Minnesota.
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Head coach Brenda Frese made it clear after Maryland beat Mount St. Mary’s on Wednesday: Sunday will probably be a unique kind of check for the Terps.
“There’ll be numerous issues we will present in movie to have the ability to put together us. It’s gonna be a very robust recreation, occurring the street, taking part in in The Barn, very first Large Ten recreation,” Frese mentioned. “We’re gonna should play so much higher than we did tonight. Good factor for us is you’ve got a time off and two days to organize to get ourselves prepared for that recreation.”
Tipoff from Williams Enviornment is slated for 4 p.m. and can broadcast on Large Ten Community.
Minnesota Golden Gophers (6-2, 0-0 Large Ten)
2024-25: 25-11, 8-10 Large Ten — WBIT Champions
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Head coach Daybreak Plitzuweit is in her third season on the helm of this system, and noticed her squad enhance from her first to second season. Minnesota was the WNIT runner-up in 2024 and WBIT champion in 2025. That is Plitzuweit’s nineteenth season as a head coach throughout 5 totally different packages.
This season, Minnesota is 5-0 at dwelling. It has solely dropped a street recreation at Kansas and a neutral-site contest to Alabama within the Bahamas. Neither opponent was ranked within the top-25 just like the Terps are, however each are stable packages.
Minnesota has crushed USF, Samford, Manhattan, NJIT, North Dakota and Marquette. These packages have mixed for a 23-32 document this season.
Gamers to observe
Tori McKinney, sophomore guard, 6-foot-1, No. 14 — McKinney is in her second season with the Gophers and averages 13.2 factors in six video games this season — she didn’t seem in both recreation within the Bahamas, however performed in Minnesota’s most up-to-date recreation. Final season, she was named WBIT MVP, averaged 10.6 factors per recreation and co-led the Gophers with 12 blocks.
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Sophie Hart, graduate heart, 6-foot-5, No. 52 — Hart is in her third season with the Gophers and is their main huge. She’s averaging 11.4 factors and 6.5 rebounds on the season. She’s been a main starter in all three of her seasons with Minnesota and continues to enhance her output.
Grace Grocholski, junior guard/ahead, 5-foot-10, No. 25 — Grocholski has been a prime contributor for the Gophers throughout 80 video games and three seasons with this system. She’s averaging 11.2 factors, 4.9 rebounds and a pair of.8 assists per recreation this season. Final season, she was an All-Large Ten honorable point out after averaging 13.1 factors, 4.9 rebounds and three.0 assists.
Power
Help-to-turnover ratio. Minnesota averages 18 assists per recreation, whereas its opponents common 10.8 per recreation. The Gophers power 19.9 turnovers per recreation to go along with 9.5 steals, whereas they solely flip it over 10.8 instances per recreation. Minnesota’s assist-to-turnover ratio is 1.8, in comparison with opponents’ 0.5. Maryland’s assist-to-turnover ratio is 1.1.
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Weak point
Free throw capturing. Minnesota shoots 73% from the charity stripe and averages 10.5 made free throws per recreation. Total, the Gophers have shot 84-of-115 from the free-throw line. Hart has had a tough season from the foul line, going 7-of-14. Minnesota’s opponents have shot higher from the free-throw line at 74.5%. Maryland’s free throw share is 77.2%, and makes 17.3 free throws per recreation.
Three issues to observe
1. ACL points. This system has suffered three separate ACL tears within the final calendar 12 months. The primary of these was Bri McDaniel, which got here towards Minnesota final season. Lea Bartelme and Ava McKennie will miss the rest of the season, and McDaniel will doubtless return someday throughout Large Ten play. How the Terps carry out with out these gamers will probably be one thing to observe.
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“These guys do [physical therapy] 24/7, you already know, they’re unlucky accidents. Whenever you discuss form of the game, in the event you go searching, what number of accidents go on inside the recreation, WNBA, school degree,” Frese mentioned. “These are high-level athletes which can be taking part in a very aggressive sport. However the good thing is, they’re going to be beneath nice care with the medical doctors and the rehab that we now have. Now we have a number of the greatest [physical therapists] and medical doctors right here, in order that they’re in good palms.”
2. May the Large Ten present challenges? The Terps have confronted two energy convention opponents this season in then-No. 16 Kentucky and Georgetown, together with some robust mid-majors. However the Large Ten is a unique beast — Maryland went 13-5 in Large Ten play final season. The Terps are 14-1 all-time towards the Gophers, however its solely loss got here in Minneapolis.
“We’re gonna should play so much higher than what we did tonight. That’s a very good group on the street, and you may’t have 17 turnovers and a number of the possessions that we had tonight,” Frese mentioned Wednesday.
3. How will the bench be utilized? Frese has used her bench extensively in most of Maryland’s season-opening 10 wins. However she has appeared to shorten it towards higher competitors. Will probably be intriguing to see how Frese approaches it towards the group’s first Large Ten opponent.
