When you look at the box score following a Maryland women’s basketball game most nights you can focus on the stat line for Brionna Jones, the Terrapins’ senior All-American candidate, to find at least one of the reasons the Terps won. If you did that following Thursday night’s 83-70 win over the visiting Michigan Wolverines you’d see the center’s 25 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks and a steal and think she’d done it again. And in one sense you’d be right but you’d only be getting part of the picture.
While Jones’ play was undoubtedly important, Maryland also needed strong performances from Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, freshman Kaila Charles and, in my mind, the player of the game, Kiah Gillespie.
Previewing the game on Wednesday night’s Terp Talk broadcast, I noted this could be a test for Maryland because, at this moment, Michigan is the second best squad in the conference. With 6’5” Hallie Thome anchoring the middle and All Big-Ten performer Katelynn Flaherty, who led all scorers with 30 points, and current conference Freshman of the Week Kysre Gondrezick able to fill it up from deep, the well-coached Wolverines will continue to challenge the rest of the league as the season goes on.
Charles, playing her best all-around game in the past few weeks, proved a matchup nightmare for the Wolverines. The freshman from Glen Dale, MD scored 16 points on six of nine shooting was either too quick or too big for the defenders Michigan used. She added six rebounds mostly a result of either out jumping or out working her opponent.
Although she has yet to return to her three point shooting form of last season, Walker-Kimbrough, who returned to the starting lineup after a one game hiatus in Iowa, scored 17 points and raised her defensive effort with three steals and three of Maryland’s 10 blocked shots.
But for all of this, the key contributions in Thursday’s win came from a player who hadn’t seen much playing time lately, Kiah Gillespie. In 18 minutes off the bench, the 6’2” sophomore from Meriden, CT filled up the stat line with nine points, six rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a pair of steals. But here, again, the box score only provides part of the picture.
Her steal and buzzer beating off-balance three pointer not only gave the Terps a 64-61 lead at the end of the third quarter, but provided an emotional jolt of energy that carried over into the fourth when Maryalnd put the game away. And it was in the second half when Gillespie made an even more important contribution. After Jones picked up an ill-advised third foul early in the third quarter, Frese moved Gillespie to the low post to defend Thome, Michigan’s outstanding sophomore center.
Thome entered the game averaging 15.5 points per game and shooting over 63 percent from the field. Due in large part to Gillespie’s strong denial on defense, the Terps held Thome to just 9 points. Gillespie’s defense also forced the Wolverines to toss several errant passes that led to turnovers and allowed Maryland to gradually build their lead.
Maryland moves to 18-1 on the season and 6-0 in Big Ten play. The Terps return to action Sunday at 3:00 p.m. when they host the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.
No comments have been posted yet, be the first!
Post a comment by filling out the form below.
