It’s a line that dates again about twenty years, to Maryland’s 2006 run to the nationwide title.
“Additional time is our time,” coach Brenda Frese stated.
The Terrapins pulled off one other extra-period escape Monday, outlasting Alabama 111-108 within the second spherical of the NCAA Event. Sarah Te-Biasu made a tying 3-pointer late within the fourth quarter, then scored eight of her 26 factors within the second OT to assist fourth-seeded Maryland advance to the Candy 16.
The Terps (25-7) advance to play top-seeded South Carolina, however to get there they needed to overcome a career-high 45 factors by Alabama’s Sarah Ashlee Barker — and a 17-point Crimson Tide lead within the third quarter.
“I feel we placed on a present for girls’s basketball tonight,” Barker stated. “I’m very grateful for that. I’m very grateful that I’m on this alternative and I used to be capable of be a part of such a fantastic recreation like that.”
The 2006 Terrapins went 6-0 in extra time, together with wins within the regional remaining in opposition to Utah and the nationwide title recreation in opposition to Duke. This was the primary time they went to OT within the NCAA Event since then — and simply attending to an additional session was a chore.
After coming alive offensively within the fourth, the Terps lastly tied it at 80 on two free throws by Shyanne Sellers with 1:01 to play. Barker put fifth-seeded Alabama again forward with a 3-pointer with 38.6 seconds left, after which Barker blocked a 3 by Kaylene Smikle on the different finish.
However Smikle got here up with the ball and threw it to Te-Biasu, whose 3 tied it with 12 seconds left. Karly Weathers missed a midrange shot for Alabama, and the Crimson Tide needed to go to extra time with two of their high gamers — Zaay Inexperienced and Aaliyah Nye — having already fouled out.
Maryland led by three when Barker was fouled taking pictures a 3 with 0.7 seconds left within the first OT. She calmly swished all three makes an attempt to tie it at 96 and ship the sport to a second additional session.
It was absolutely the sport of the match to this point, and the one time in 4 second-round matchups this 12 months {that a} No. 4 seed was capable of reap the benefits of dwelling courtroom and beat the No. 5 seed. There has by no means been a Candy 16 within the ladies’s NCAA Event with out a minimum of one No. 4 seed.
It nearly occurred this 12 months, however with Maryland up three within the second extra time, Diana Collins missed a 3-pointer for the Crimson Tide (24-9). The ball went out of bounds to Alabama with 1.8 seconds left, however Te-Biasu broke up the inbound move — which was headed in Barker’s path — to seal the sport.
“It was actually a combat. We went double extra time however we simply stored taking part in for one another the entire recreation,” Te-Biasu stated. “I do know I feel it was just like the third and fourth quarter it was slightly bit powerful for us, however we by no means gave up and we simply stored preventing. That’s all we did.”
Solely three gamers in match historical past have scored extra factors in a recreation than Barker’s 45: Drake’s Lorri Bauman had 50 in opposition to Maryland in a 1982 regional remaining, Texas Tech’s Sheryl Swoopes scored 47 within the 1993 title recreation in opposition to Ohio State, and Stanford’s Jayne Appel had 46 in a 2009 regional remaining in opposition to Iowa State.
Takeaways
Alabama: The Crimson Tide got here oh so near their first Candy 16 berth since 1998. They outscored Maryland 60-38 within the paint, repeatedly benefiting from Maryland’s lack of rim safety.
Maryland: The Terps pushed the tempo within the fourth after they wanted to, and Te-Biasu has been big for them down the stretch this season. It was an epic 24 hours for Maryland basketball after the lads’s crew beat Colorado State on the buzzer Sunday evening.
Going the gap
Te-Biasu performed 49:40 out of a doable 50 minutes. Barker performed 49:05 and Weathers performed 49:53.
Key stat
Maryland was anticipated to have a bonus on the boards, and the Terps certainly completed with 23 offensive rebounds to Alabama’s 14.
Up subsequent
Maryland will get one other shot at South Carolina after shedding to the Gamecocks within the Elite Eight two years in the past.
