“I thought that was going to be my assist, but she said it was a bad shot,” Barrett said with a smile while describing her conversation with Hawkins, “I said, ‘Okay, I can accept that.’ ”
Hawkins’s decision-making lately has produced the most efficient basketball of her career heading into Sunday’s showdown with No. 5 Duke, which is unbeaten in the ACC at 13-0 and 22-3 overall. Against the Cavaliers, for instance, Hawkins missed just once in 13 attempts for a shooting percentage of .923. That established a career best for Hawkins in games where she’s attempted at least 10 field goals.
Over the last four games, Hawkins is shooting 80 percent (36 for 45) and averaging 21 points and 10 rebounds. The first-team All-Met as a senior at Riverdale Baptist leads the country in field goal percentage at 65 percent, which ranks ahead of even Baylor’s Brittney Griner, the front-runner for national player of the year.
“She doesn’t take bad shots,” Maryland Coach Brenda Frese said of Hawkins. “Tianna just makes great choices with the basketball.”
Often that means jumpers, which translates into a tough matchup for defenders on the court and for opposing coaches when scouting Maryland (22-4, 9-4 ACC). At 6 feet 3, Hawkins’s reputation for scoring from the low block and off offensive rebounds is widely established in the conference, but her aptitude for sinking intermediate and long jumpers has vaulted her to among the most versatile players in the country.
The Cavaliers found out first-hand when on four occasions, Hawkins received passes well away from the interior and converted jump shots each time. That made the going all the more comfortable for Barrett and freshman backup point guard Brene Moseley as they combined for seven assists with two turnovers.
“I think I’m playing with a lot of confidence because my teammates have confidence in me, and they’re getting me the ball in good position,” said Hawkins, who set a Maryland single-game record with 24 rebounds in an 86-58 victory over Wake Forest on Jan. 19.
Hawkins had one of her least productive rebounding games in an 80-72 loss to Duke on Jan. 22. That she finished with only four rebounds underscored Maryland’s overall substandard performance in that category against its arch rival, so the focus in practice the past two days has been on reclaiming the inside the second time around.
In the first meeting at Cameron Indoor Stadium, the Blue Devils outrebounded Maryland 41-30, including 16-11 offensively. The Terrapins, who are fourth in the country in rebounding margin (14.1), finished with their fewest rebounds in a game this season, and only sophomore forward Alyssa Thomas reached double figures.
“Just rebound and defend,” said Thomas, the ACC’s leading scorer at 17 points per game and Maryland’s second leading rebounder (7.4). “The last game we were in it all the way. We just have to do a better job in both those areas.”
Loading...
Comments