Maryland beats Appalachian State, 81-65, in women's basketball

maryland	appalachian st.
81	65

Late in the second half of Maryland's 81-65 victory on Sunday afternoon, Terrapins forward Diandra Tchatchouang spotted Appalachian State's Anna Freeman squaring up for a three-pointer on the left wing. Long-range shots had given No. 22 Maryland fits in the first half, so Tchatchouang raced out with her hand high to defend the attempt.

The ball eventually sailed out of bounds after Tchatchouang's block, and although the Mountaineers kept possession, it was the most demonstrative indication of Maryland's commitment to curbing three-pointers. That tactic in zone sets coupled with a continued attack mode inside contributed to the Terrapins' 21-point lead with 9 minutes 21 seconds to play and enabled them to win their sixth straight despite an anxious moment or two in the closing minutes at Comcast Center.

Tchatchouang scored a game-high 17 points and added seven rebounds and two assists, and center Lynetta Kizer finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds for Maryland (7-1), which limited Appalachian State to 35 percent shooting, including 3 for 14 on three-pointers in the second half. The Mountaineers had made 5 of 9 from that distance in the first half and trailed by one point at intermission.

"I thought [it was] a much better second half for us," Maryland Coach Brenda Frese said. "But I think obviously Appalachian State came ready to play. We talked to the team even before this game that this was a dangerous game. I was really impressed with Appalachian State on film, their stats and the success they've had, but I thought our energy and intensity level really picked up. I thought the zone defense in the second half really gave them problems."

So did Maryland's size advantage. The Terrapins outpointed Appalachian State inside 54-18, including 13 more second-chance points. Maryland also dominated in rebounding, 50-37, and collected seven more offensively than the Mountaineers (6-2).

The second-half resurgence was that much more noteworthy considering the absence of freshman sensation Alyssa Thomas, who had a deep cut on her left knee that forced her to the locker room with 2:35 to play before the break after she had scored 13 points. Thomas sat on the bench during the second half with an ice pack around her knee but is expected to be fine.

Freshman Alicia DeVaughn grabbed 13 rebounds, tying a game high, and scored nine points, and sophomore forward Tianna Hawkins chipped in nine points on 4-for-6 shooting to go along with six rebounds in 16 minutes. Maryland's robust play in the painted area more than made up for its 1-for-10 performance from three-point range. It's the second consecutive game and fourth time this season the Terrapins have shot 10 percent or worse from that distance.

Forward Ashlen Dewart and guard Sam Ramirez led Appalachian State with 15 points each, although they went 5 for 15 from three-point range. Ramirez made 3 of 5 three-pointers in the first half, getting open looks several times, but only 1 of 6 in the second half. Maryland regulated those chances in the second half by applying more pressure on the perimeter and by getting hands on the ball with much greater frequency.

That attention to defense triggered several second-half runs, including a 12-1 burst that produced a 68-47 lead with less than 10 minutes to play. Appalachian State cut it to 70-57 after Freeman's three-pointer with 4:18 to go and then to 76-65 with 1:37 to play after consecutive three-pointers from Ramirez and Freeman. The Terrapins clamped down defensively again from there, though, and made 5 of 6 foul shots for the final margin.

"Everybody can shoot the three," Tchatchouang said of Appalachian State. "So we had to adjust the defense, and I think we did a very good job in the second half."