Maryland’s women’s basketball squad couldn’t finish an incredible comeback in Paris, falling 101-93 to the No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks. While the Terps fought back from a massive 31-point deficit, Addi Mack’s heroic second half, where she dropped 31 points, wasn’t enough to seal the improbable victory.
South Carolina Ran Away With It Early
Right from the jump, it looked like a mismatch. South Carolina started hot, draining their first seven field goal attempts and quickly building a staggering 24-5 lead. Maryland just couldn’t find an answer to the Gamecocks’ size, especially in the paint. South Carolina racked up 34 paint points in the first half alone and finished the game with 52 points in the paint compared to Maryland’s 34. They also dominated the boards, outrebounding Maryland 44-36, and got to the line more, attempting 26 free throws to Maryland’s 21.
The Gamecocks’ scoring frenzy continued, pushing their lead to 33-14 by the end of the first quarter. Nunu Agara tried to keep Maryland in it with seven points in the opening frame, but she struggled against South Carolina’s bigs and eventually fouled out with seven minutes left in the fourth, finishing with just 12 points on 4-for-11 shooting. Maryland did make a brief 10-2 run to cut the lead to 12 in the second quarter, sparked by freshman Trinity Jones’s six points, but it was short-lived. South Carolina went on a 21-6 run to close out the first half, walking into halftime with a commanding 61-33 lead. Maryland also struggled with turnovers, giving up the ball 13 times in the first half, which South Carolina turned into 21 points off turnovers and 25 transition points. It was rough to watch.
Addi Mack Woke Up, And Maryland Almost Pulled It Off
Then the second half started, and everything changed. Addi Mack took over, plain and simple. She scored Maryland’s first 12 points of the half, going 5-for-5 from the field to start her incredible run. She piled on five more points before the third quarter ended and then dropped another 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting in the fourth. Mack’s 31 points in the final 20 minutes pushed her to a career-high 33 points for the game, proving she can take the reins of that offense.
Maryland’s three-point shooting also caught fire in the second half, hitting 9-for-15 from downtown. Freshmen Trinity Jones and Jordyn Jackson chipped in with crucial three-pointers down the stretch, and Bri McDaniel added nine points in the second half. Oluchi Okananwa showed some grit on defense with two steals, finishing with 11 points and that tough-as-nails mentality. She put it perfectly: “The game isn’t over until the shot clock is at zero. We either feel sorry for ourselves…or we can play the way we know we were supposed to play.” And play they did, outscoring South Carolina by a massive 60-40 in the second half. Coach Brenda Frese was right to be proud, saying, “Addi put the team on her back,” and highlighting the team’s “resiliency in the second half….I thought we showed a mentality [that] I’m really excited about.”
Even though they couldn’t close it out, this Maryland team showed some serious heart in coach Frese’s 25th season. If Addi Mack is ready for a big season like this, with a career-high 33 points right out of the gate, fans should be hyped for what’s coming next. That second-half fight is exactly what you want to see.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply