No. 9 Terps women bounce back to beat Penn State, 79-67

After watching Maryland stumble from the outset in a loss to Michigan State three days earlier, women’s basketball coach Brenda Frese emphatically stressed to her players the importance of getting off to a sharp start against Penn State.

The host Terps complied, though the best part about their performance Sunday was the fashion in which they finished.

Taylor Mikesell scored 23 points, Kaila Charles added 19 and No. 9 Maryland used a late surge to beat the Lady Lions, 79-67.

Up by 13 in the first quarter, the Terps (16-2, 5-2 Big Ten) trailed 48-44 in the third before coming on strong.

“They asserted themselves in the fourth quarter,” Penn State coach Coquese Washington said. “That’s what makes them a really talented team.”

Mikesell hit a 3-pointer to make it 64-56 with 6:30 left, and successive baskets by Shakira Austin in the lane provided Maryland with a 12-point cushion with three minutes to go.

Maryland outscored Penn State 22-16 in the fourth quarter on the strength of 8-for-12 shooting.

Austin had 13 points and 10 rebounds for the Terps, who trailed Michigan State by 16 in the first quarter of a 77-60 loss on Thursday night.

In this one, Maryland bolted to a 21-8 lead. “We talked a lot these last few days about our energy and playing hard from the tip,” Frese said. “One of our goals was to start the game strong.”

If the Terps could play an entire game like that, they would almost certainly stand atop the Big Ten.

“Our next step is being able to sustain that for 40 minutes,” Frese said.

In the first meeting between the teams in December, the Terps outscored Penn State 21-4 in the fourth quarter to pull out a 77-61 victory.

Maryland found itself in a similar situation this time. Although the Terps led by 13 points early, they took a tenuous 57-51 advantage into the final 10 minutes.

The fourth quarter, however, was all Maryland.

“Once we focus and lock in, we can do really good things,” Charles said.

LOYOLA MARYLAND 62, LAFAYETTE 50: Isabella Therien scored a career-high 28 points and added 11 rebounds and the host Greyhounds hit a season-high 10 3-pointers en route to a win over the Leopards.

Alexis Gray added 11 points and six rebounds for Loyola (2-15, 1-5 Patriot League). Natalie Kucowski led Lafayette (6-11, 1-5) with 16 points and eight rebounds.

Therien knocked down one of her game-high five 3-pointers to start the second half to help the Greyhounds turn a 21-20 halftime advantage into a four-point lead. The Leopards pulled within one, but they wouldn’t be able to regain the lead as Delaney Connolly and Therien combined to convert four-straight free throws and spark a 28-8 run that put Loyola ahead 52-31 by the end of the third quarter.

UNC-WILMINGTON 77, TOWSON 73: Lacey Suggs scored 20 points and the host Seahawks (11-5, 4-1 Colonial Athletic Association) outscored the Tigers 21-10 in the fourth quarter to end Towson’s six-game winning streak.

Kionna Jeter scored 28 points and Nukiya Mayo added 20 points and seven rebounds for the Tigers (11-6, 5-1), who remain tied for first in the CAA with James Madison.

Baltimore Sun staff contributed to this article.