Alexander Scores 1,000th Point As Terps Roll Past Rutgers, 80-56

COLLEGE PARK, MD — The No. 9 Terps were swarming defensively from the jump, forcing 23 total turnovers en route to a dominant 80-56 win over Rutgers for their fourth consecutive home victory.

Maryland limited the Scarlet Knights to just nine field goal makes in the first half and held a 44-28 halftime lead that was never relinquished. The Terps finished with 19 total points off Scarlet Knight turnovers. Maryland also finished with a 38-22 advantage in points in the paint. 

Brinae Alexander, who needed nine points coming into the day to reach 1,000 career points, scored a season-high 20. She hit the 1,000-point mark with just over a minute left in the third quarter as she splashed a triple to put the Terps up 18. She connected on 6-of-8 from three-point range. 

Diamond Miller was strong once again, finishing with 17 points in addition to six rebounds and career-high tying five steals. Abby Meyers scored 10 points in the first quarter to put Maryland up big early and then finished with 14 points, including a pair of triples. Shyanne Sellers did a little bit of everything for the Terps today, notching 12 points, a team-high nine boards and a game-high seven assists. 

With the win, Maryland jumped to 14-4 on the season and 5-2 in the Big Ten. Rutgers fell to 8-11 overall and 2-5 in conference play. 

Breaking Down The Action

• After an early 5-2 Rutgers lead, the Terps exploded for a 13-0 run, with 10 of the 13 points coming from Abby Meyers, who made four of her first five attempts including two makes from deep. At the end of the first quarter, the Terps led 23-16. 
• Maryland’s defense was stifling throughout the second quarter as the Terps held the Scarlet Knights to just two points through the first 6:31 of the stanza. Maryland used another big run, this time a 12-0 one, to take a 44-28 lead into halftime. Meyers and Miller combined for 23 points to lead the way. 
• In the third quarter, Maryland held Rutgers without a field goal for almost six minutes as it took a 61-41 lead into the final ten minutes of action. 
• Alexander hit back-to-back-to-back triples late in the fourth quarter to put the Terps back ahead by 24. 

1,000 Point Update

• With a three-pointer with 1:08 remaining in the third quarter, Brinae Alexander crossed the 1,000-point threshold. She now has 1,011 career points, with 841 coming…