COLLEGE PARK, MD – Playing on her bobblehead night with her parents in the stands – all the way from Australia – Chloe Bibby was spectacular, scoring a game-high 22 points as No. 15 Maryland put away Rutgers 72-55 on Thursday night inside the XFINITY Center. 

Angel Reese continued her dominant play for the Terps (14-6, 6-3 Big Ten) with 14 points and 12 rebounds, her 12th double-double of the season.  

Ashley Owusu was strong all night as she finished with 17 points. Katie Benzan added 10 points and two three-pointers.

After leading just 30-26 at halftime, Maryland began to push the pace in the third quarter, going on a 14-2 run en route to a 55-42 lead after three quarters. The team would extend that fourth quarter even more behind Bibby's nine points in the final 10 minutes.

The Terps defense was stingy all night, holding the Scarlet Knights to just 39% shooting and 27% from three-point range, while also forcing 26 turnovers.
 
Brenda Frese's Take
"I thought we came out really, really strong in the first quarter. I don't know if we relaxed [after that] and obviously, Rutgers was going to compete and fight for 40 minutes. You see that in conference now, whether you're the top of the league or the bottom of the league, these teams are going to compete and come after you for 40 minutes. This is a team that hasn't won a game in conference but I thought Rutgers battled really, really hard, but loved our response coming out the third quarter, second half, we started playing Maryland basketball. Moving the ball being really, really unselfish. I think we went on a stretch there in the third 14-2 run and outrebounded them in that stretch 12-1. I thought these three (Angel Reese, Chloe Bibby and Ashley Owusu) really stepped up and made big plays for our team. I thought Chloe's second half was one of the best halves and games. I thought she just played with a ton of energy and moved off the bounce and we need her parents to come out more often. But she just played really, as hard as she always played so I say that tongue in cheek but that was just really moving for us.  We forced 26 turnovers - that's a positive for us. I mean, I'm not overly excited about continuing to get outrebounded on the glass. That's an area we've got to continue to improve on, but holding them to 55 points was also really big fewest points to build a team in a conference play."


Breaking Down The Action

• The Terps raced out to an 11-5 advantage after a three-pointer from Bibby with 5:19 left in the first. Maryland would end up using a pair of 6-0 runs in the first quarter to take a 19-9 lead after one, led by Reese's six points and four rebounds. 
• Rutgers responded in the second quarter in what was ultimately a sloppy 10 minutes for both teams. The Terps took a 30-26 at the half after scoring just 11 points in the second quarter. 
• After Rutgers cut the lead to one (37-36), Maryland began to retake control of the game, using a 14-2 run led by Owusu, Reese, and a pair of three's by Benzan with the team taking a 51-38 lead with 2:40 remaining.   
• Maryland would continue to expand the lead in the fourth quarter, with Bibby knocking down four shots in the frame during what would be one of her best games of the season. 

Double-Figure Update

• Bibby (22 points) hit double-figures for the 13th time this season and 64th time in her career. It was her seventh time with 20 or more points at Maryland.
• Owusu (17 points) has scored in double-figures in 18 of 20 games this season and now has 65 career games in double-figures. It was Owusu's fourth game this season with 20-plus points. 
• Reese (14 points) has scored in double-figures in 17 of 20 games this season and now has 24 career games in double-figures.
• Benzan (10 points) hit double-figures for the 92nd time in her career and 10th time this year.

Defense!

• Maryland had its best overall defensive effort of the season in conference play limiting Rutgers to just 55 points. 
• Prior to Thursday, the Terps had held both Rutgers (12/5/21) and Northwestern (1/23/22) to 59 points. 
• It was the fewest points allowed in a conference game since Maryland beat Northwestern, 62-50, on Feb. 28, 2021. 
• In holding Rutgers to just nine points in the first quarter, Maryland's defense had its best showing in conference play this season. 
• The Terps held Penn State to just 11 points on Jan. 6, 2022. 
• It's the fewest allowed by Maryland in a first quarter of a conference game since leading Purdue, 16-9, on Feb . 25, 2021. 

Reese Double-Doubles

• Reese had another strong game resulting in her 12th double-double of the season, scoring 14 points while pulling down 12 rebounds. 
• Eight of her rebounds came on the offensive glass. 

B1G Time Dominance

• The Terps are 176-48 (.786) all-time against their Big Ten opponents.
• Since joining the Big Ten in 2014-15, the Terrapins are 134-18 (.883) vs. their conference opponents, including their 19-2 record in the Big Ten Tournament.
• In the 20 years under Frese, the Terps are 145-22 (.869) against their Big Ten opponents.
• Frese is 158-27 (.854) all-time vs. Big Ten opponents, which includes her time at Minnesota and at Ball State.
• Since joining the league in 2014, Maryland is 60-5 (.923) against Big Ten teams at home.

Series History 

• Thursday's matchup was the 43rd all-time between Maryland and Rutgers. Maryland owns the series, 30-12, and has won 11 of 12 meetings since joining the league in the 2014-15 season.
• The Terrapins took their first meeting earlier this year, 73-59, in Piscataway on Dec. 5.

Up Next 

• The Terps will travel to Penn State where they will take on the Nittany Lions on Sunday, Jan. 30 at 2 p.m.
• The game will be streamed on B1G+.