Featuring a deep and balanced roster that has six players averaging 11.7 points or more per game, Maryland has jumped out to a dominating 6-0 start to the season, with its latest win, a 79-76 statement home win over No. 6 Baylor on Sunday afternoon, showing that the Terrapins are a national title contender in 2021-22.
Having won the six games by an average of 28.8 points per game, Maryland this week also rolled to convincing wins over Mount St. Mary’s (98-57) and UNC Wilmington (108-66).
In the Baylor win, junior guard Ashley Owusu led the Terps with a season-high 24 points — including the 1,000th of her career — along with six assists and four rebounds as she showed off her wide array of skills on both ends of the court. Owusu became the 35th Terp to score 1,000 points in her Maryland career. Angel Reese netted 17 points and nine rebounds and converted a clutch 3-point play with 1:08 left in regulation to put the Terps ahead by six after Baylor had cut the lead to just three. Chloe Bibby tallied 16 points, knocking down three 3-pointers. Mimi Collins had 10 points and eight rebounds.
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In the Nov. 16 win over Mount St. Mary’s, six Maryland players scored in double-figures as the Terps led wire-to-wire. Reese had 18 points and a game-high and career-high 15 rebounds, her third game this season with at least 14 rebounds.
The Terps followed that up with a 42-point win over UNC Wilmington that featured five players in double figures and scored 30 points off of 21 forced turnovers. Reese continued her dominant start to the season with a team-high 23 points, 12 rebounds, five steals and two blocks. The 23-point, 12-rebound game marked Reese's third-straight double-double and fourth of the season. Katie Benzan scored a season-high 22 points on 6-10 shooting from three-point range.
The coming week will be telling in regard to Maryland’s prospects for the season. The No. 3 Terps will play at Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship in Nassau, The Bahamas, facing off against No. 5 NC State on Thanksgiving and against No. 7 Stanford on Nov. 27.
