Winners of nine straight games, Maryland moved to 20-4 on the season and 11-2 in Big Ten play with wins last week over Indiana and Rutgers, marking the 16th-consecutive year head coach Brenda Frese has guided the Terrapins to 20 or more wins in a season.
The victory on Sunday over Rutgers also pushed Maryland into sole possession of first place in the Big Ten.
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The latest Terrapins win, 79-50 over Rutgers, was fueled by standout senior Kaila Charles, who scored 16 points and pulled down eight rebounds. Big Ten Freshman of the Year candidate Ashley Owusu tallied 14 points and handed out a season-best nine assists while committing just one turnover. Joining Charles and Owusu in double-figures were senior Stephanie Jones (14 points) and sophomore Shakira Austin (12 points). All nine Terps who played also finished in the scoring column.
Maryland used a stifling defense to limit Rutgers to its fewest points scored in a game all season. The Scarlet Knights shot just 34 percent from the floor and scored only nine and seven points in the second and fourth quarters, respectively. Maryland also forced Rutgers into 18 turnovers and it blocked three shots.
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Earlier in the week, on Feb. 6, Maryland used a strong second half to overwhelm No. 18 Indiana, 79-69, the Terrapins' fifth win this season over a ranked team. Charles led the way with 21 points, 11 boards and four assists. Owusu scored 19 points, 15 in the Terrapins' strong second half. Blair Watson and Taylor Mikesell each scored 10 points.
Maryland trailed the Hoosiers by as much as 10 in the first half, then went on an 18-5 run in the third quarter to flip the script. Maryland outscored Indiana 47-31 in the second half. The road win was Frese's 74th over a ranked team in her 18 years at Maryland.
No. 5 in the nation in scoring margin at 24.3 points per game, Maryland averages 81.5 points per game as a team. Scoring for the Terps has been a team affair, with five players averaging in double figures, led by Charles at 14.9 points per game.
Maryland returns to action on Thursday in a battle for first place in the Big Ten, hosting Iowa at the XFINITY Center.
