No. 14 Terps Rally, But Drop 76-67 Decision To DePaul

FORT MYERS, FL – No. 14 Maryland rallied from down by as many as 13 to take several leads in the second half, but were unable to come away with the victory as the Terps lost to DePaul, 76-67,  in the opening game of the Elevance Health Women’s Fort Myers Tip-Off. 

DePaul’s 9-0 run midway through the fourth quarter proved to be a difference as the Blue Demons (3-2 overall) turned a 56-55 deficit into a 64-56 lead and held off the Terps’ late push. 

Maryland (4-2) had five players score in double-figures, but no one scored more than 13 as Shyanne Sellers led the Terps with 13, Faith Masonius scored 12 points, while Diamond Miller tallied 11, Gia Cooke had a career-high 10 points and Abby Meyers also netted 10 points. Masonius led Maryland with 10 rebounds for her third-career double-double. Miller also had five blocks. 

Aneesah Morrow of DePaul, the nation’s leading scorer (31.5 ppg entering the game) scored 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. DePaul had five players score in double-figures and three players with double-doubles: Keke Rimmer (13 points and 12 rebounds) and Jorie Allen (10 points and 13 rebounds. 

Breaking Down The Action

• The Terps struggled from the floor in the first quarter as they fell behind 15-10 at the end of the first quarter, making just 2-of-18 field goals and 1-of-10 from three-point range. 
• Maryland picked up the shooting in the second quarter (7-of-17) as the Terps cut into the deficit, but trailed 35-27 at halftime. Meyers and Pinzan each had five points in the first half. 
• The Terps used a 10-0 run in the third quarter to take their first lead of the game at 45-44 on a Gia Cooke layup with 44 seconds left in the third. DePaul brough a nearly five-minute scorless streak on a three-point play by Morrow with 22 seconds on the clock to lead 47-45 after 30 minutes. 
• Maryland used a 7-0 run early in the fourth quarter to take a 54-52 lead on a Masonius fastbreak layup with 7:17 left in the fourth. DePaul answered with a 9-0 run of its own to take a 64-56 keyed by a Holmes three-pointer with 4:46 left in the game. Sellers scored six late points to keep the Terps within two possessions late in the game. But Morrow and Rimmer each made layups in the final two minutes to put the game out of reach. 

Double-Figure Update

• Sellers hit double-figures for the fourth time in…