COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The eighth-ranked Maryland women's basketball team (25-3, 14-3 B1G) will host Illinois (10-18, 2-15) in both teams' regular season finale Saturday at 2 p.m. at the XFINITY Center. The Terrapins clinched at least a share of their fourth Big Ten title in five years earlier this week. With a win Saturday, they can win the league outright.
Maryland will honor senior
Brianna Fraser prior to Saturday's game. For tickets, click
here.
Fans can join student-athletes from Maryland teams for a pregame clinic in honor of National Girls and Women in Sports Day. The clinic is free and starts at 12:30. Participants must sign up in advance at
ter.ps/ngwsd. Admission to the game is NOT included. Participants can receive discounted $5 admission to the game! Visit
ter.ps/ngwsdtix and enter the promo code NGWSD.
Saturday's game is also
Brianna Fraser bobblehead day. All fans in attendance will receive a scratch off ticket upon entry into the arena and 500 lucky fans will take home a
Brianna Fraser bobblehead.
The Maryland-Illinois game will be streamed online live through
BTN2Go.com and the BTN Plus app. Fans can watch with their BTN Plus subscriptions.
The Terps-Illini game is one of five women's basketball games broadcast on the Maryland Radio Network. The Terps-Illini matchup can be heard on 980 DC and 1300 in Baltimore, as well as online
here.
Maryland owns the series over Illinois at 9-0 and is 3-0 against the Illini at the XFINITY Center. The Terps won their first meeting this year, 80-66, in Champaign on Feb. 4. Freshman
Shakira Austin led six Terrapins in double figures with 17 points.
The Terps went on a 13-0 run to end the third and start the fourth quarter in a 58-55 win at Purdue Monday. Junior
Kaila Charles led the way with 20 points and 13 rebounds. Junior
Stephanie Jones scored 16 points, 14 in the second half, and freshman
Taylor Mikesell scored 10 points. Austin pulled down 13 boards with 8 blocks.
In the last two weeks, Charles was named to the Citizen Naismith Trophy Midseason Team, the Cheryl Miller Award Final 10, the Wade Watch List and the Wooden Award Late Season Top 20. On Tuesday, she was named the Citizen Naismith Trophy National Player of the Week.
Mikesell has made 82 three-pointers this year and needs to make just 10 to top the program season record of 91 made by Kristi Toliver in 2008-09. Austin has 73 blocks this season and needs just eight to top the program season record of 80 by Kris Kirchner in 1978-79.
Maryland is 13th in the country and leads the Big Ten in rebounding margin (+9.1). The Terps are No. 16 nationally in field goal percentage (.463).
Sophomore
Channise Lewis leads the Big Ten in assist/turnover ratio (2.7). Mikesell leads the league and is No. 20 nationally with her three-point percentage of .429. She leads the Big Ten with 82 threes made. Austin is second in the Big Ten and eighth in the country in total blocks (73). Charles is No. 5 in the Big Ten in scoring (16.9), Mikesell is No. 14 (13.7) and Jones is 16th (13.0).
In her 17 years at Maryland, head coach
Brenda Frese has led the Terps to a record of 454-122 (.788). She owns a record of 511-152 (.771) over her 20-year coaching career. Frese has led Maryland to 14 NCAA Tournaments in her 16 post seasons, three Final Fours, six Elite Eights, eight Sweet Sixteens and 10 conference titles.
As a program, Maryland has earned a record of 997-425 (.701) and needs three wins to reach 1,000. Only 10 Division I women's basketball programs have reached 1,000 wins.
The Big Ten Tournament bracket will be released Sunday evening. For more on the Big Ten Tournament, click
here.
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