COLLEGE PARK, MD -- No. 9 Maryland got off to a fast start thanks to forcing 17 first-half turnovers and then Brinae Alexander brought a major second-half boost, scoring 14 of her season-high 20 points in the second half, as the Terps cruised past Rutgers, 80-56. Alexander's six triples tied a career-high and she also surpassed 1,000 career points in a game that saw Maryland lead for all but 1:57 of play. 

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 23 Scarlet Knight turnovers. Maryland also finished with a 38-22 advantage in points in the paint. 

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. 

Brenda's Take

I thought we got back to who we are on both ends of the floor, forcing turnovers defensively and sharing the ball on offense. It was great to be able to see the tone we set early, forcing 11 turnovers in the first quarter...Nice obviously to get our freshman some minutes in conference play as they continue to grow. We knew this was an important game for us. Rutgers was coming in here with some motivation, winning the last two."

From Brinae

"1,000 points means a lot. Credit to my teammates for finding me and getting me open looks. It means a lot to be in my fifth-year and college and get 1,000 points. I feel great." 

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 at Vanderbilt
• Miller moved to 25th all-time in career scoring at Maryland with 1,352. She passed No. 25 Stephanie Cross who scored 1,349 points from 1995-98.  
• Meyers now has 1,203 points in her career with 947 in her three seasons of action at Princeton before joining the Terps this season. 
• Lavender Briggs, who surpassed the 1,000-point mark in Maryland's game against Notre Dame, now has 1,078 overall. She netted 961 at Florida. 
• Pinzan is also chasing 1,000 points as she has 986, for her career. She had 916 points at South Florida.

Double-Figure Update 

• Alexander notched a season-high 20 points, marking her eighth time in double-figures this season and 48th overall. 
• With 17 points, Miller reached double-figures for the 16th time in 17 games played this season. She's recorded 10 points or more 71 times in her career. 
• Sellers' 12 point-performance was the 15th time in 18 games that she has reached double-digit scoring. She has done that 28 times overall in her career. She scored the 500th point of her career in the 50th game of her career. 
• Meyers hit double-digit scoring for the 15th time this season and 67th in her career, notching 14 points. 

B1G Time 

• The Terps are now 188-52 (.786) all-time against their Big Ten opponents. 
• Since joining the Big Ten in 2014-15, the Terrapins are 146-22 (.869) vs. their conference opponents, including their 19-3 record in the Big Ten Tournament. 
• In the 21 years under Frese, the Terps are 157-26 (.858) against their Big Ten opponents. 
• Frese is 170-31 (.846) all-time vs. Big Ten opponents, which includes her time at Minnesota and at Ball State. 
• Since joining the league in 2014, Maryland is 67-6 (.918) against Big Ten teams at home. 
• The Terrapins are also 128-8 (.942) when they score 70 points or more in Big Ten games since 2014-15.
• Since their first year in the Big Ten, the Terps are 111-4 (.965) when holding their league opponents to 70 points or less.

Home Sweet Home

• Maryland has been a dominant home team, especially over the last decade. The Terps are 588-139 (.809) all-time in College Park, dating back to the inaugural 1971-72 season. 
• Maryland is 294-44 (.870) at home under Brenda Frese, whose first season in College Park was the inaugural season of XFINITY Center. That is among the top 10 toughest places to play in the country.

Series History

• Maryland improved its all-time series record to 32-12 against Rutgers. The Terps have now won seven in a row in the series, sweeping the season series this year. 
• Since both teams joined the Big Ten for the 2014-15 season, the Terps have now won 13 of the 14 meetings. 
• Frese is now 14-2 all-time against the Scarlet Knights and the Terps are 7-1 against Rutgers at XFINITY Center. 

Up Next

• The Terps hit the road for a pair of Big Ten games this week. Maryland will play at Wisconsin on Thursday, Jan. 19 at 7:30 p.m. ET and at Nebraska on Sunday, Jan. 22 at 2 p.m. ET. Both games will air on Big Ten Plus (B1G+).