Box Score GREENVILLE, SC – Maryland led after the first quarter and continued to battle throughout but the second-seeded Terrapins saw their season come to an end on Monday night in the Elite Eight, losing to overall No. 1 South Carolina, 86-75. The Terps finish the season with a 28-7 record, advancing to their first Elite Eight since 2015 and third consecutive Sweet 16.
The defending national champion Gamecocks improved to 36-0 on the season and will play Iowa next Friday in the Final Four in Dallas.
Diamond Miller led the way for Maryland, totaling 24 points and five rebounds, with 19 of the points coming in the second half.
Abby Meyers was huge for the Terps in the first half, with all 14 of her points coming in the opening 20 minutes as she kept Maryland in the game. Meyers fouled out with 7:14 left in the game.
Shyanne Sellers scored all 11 of her points in the second half.
The Terps jumped out to a 21-15 first-quarter lead behind stingy defense that disrupted South Carolina's offensive flow. Maryland continued to battle hard against the lengthy Gamecocks inside, but foul trouble to four key players (Miller, Sellers, Faith Masonius and Brinae Alexander) allowed the Gamecocks to take an eight-point lead into the halftime break.
South Carolina was led by All-American Aliyah Boston who scored 22 points while adding 10 boards. Zia Cooke also had double-figures with 18 points and six boards.
The Gamecocks used their size advantage in the paint to hold a commanding 48-26 edge on the glass including 25 offensive rebounds that led to 23 second-chance points.
Brenda's Take
"You know, just super, super proud of this team. I thought you saw the mentality to come out and punch first. I loved our first quarter. I thought we were really confident. We had South Carolina on the back of their heels, really having to adjust to our style of play. I thought the game was lost in the second quarter. The foul trouble, the amount of times throughout the game that they were in the bonus really impacted our play. But you can see their size, their length, their depth wears you out as the game continues on. But I think the biggest thing is nobody could have seen this team last season when we had to rebuild it go and do what they were able to do this season. Just incredibly proud of this team and for leaving it out there for the 40 minutes."
Breaking Down The Action
- Utilizing a full-court press that threw South Carolina's offense out of rhythm, the Terps used a 7-0 run to pull in front 14-13 after seven minutes of action. Meyers scored half of Maryland's 14 points, including a key three from the wing.
- Behind a contested three-ball from Lavender Briggs and a pair of free throws from Miller, Maryland stretched it to a 12-0 run.
- The Terps led 21-15 at the end of the first quarter, forcing five Gamecock turnovers in the frame and getting six points off them. Maryland scored 16 of the last 20 points in the quarter, while holding South Carolina to just 1-of-10 from the floor in the last 5:31 of the stanza.
- South Carolina took a 38-30 lead into halftime after using a 9-0 run in the second quarter to build out a double-digit lead. Meyers hit a driving lay-up with four seconds left in the frame to cut the deficit to single digits at the break. She finished the first half with 14 points to lead all players.
- In the third, after South Carolina extended its lead to 12, Maryland was able to use a 6-0 run trimming the deficit to 48-42 at the 4:05 mark. But the Gamecocks answered with a 12-3 run to retake control, 60-45, with 1:46 left in the quarter.
NCAA Tournament History
- This was the Terps' 13th straight NCAA Tournament appearance, dating back to 2010, and 18th in head coach Brenda Frese's 21 seasons at Maryland (with the 2020 NCAA Tournament was canceled). Maryland is 53-29 (.646) all-time in the NCAA Tournament and 41-17 (.707) under Frese.
- All-time, Maryland is now 5-6 in the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament with one more win in the 1978 AIAW. Maryland's other Elite Eight appearances came in - 1978 (AIAW), 1979 (AIAW), 1980 (AIAW), 1981 (AIAW), 1982, 1988, 1989, 1992, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2014, and 2015.
- Maryland finished the Tournament with a 20-0 all-time as a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament - the 20 wins are its most at any seeding (next is 12-4 as a No. 1 seed).
- The Terrapins have earned a top-four seed 22 times in their 30 NCAA Tournament appearances and 15 times in head coach Frese's 21 postseasons.
1,000 Point Update
- Miller finishes her career 10th in career scoring at Maryland, as she now has 1,706. Next on the list is No. 9 Shay Doron who scored 1,878 from 2004-07.
- Meyers has 1,448 points in her career, with 947 in her three seasons of action at Princeton before joining the Terps this season.
- Three other Terps also have 1,000 career points: Lavender Briggs (1,212), Brinae Alexander (1,146), and Elisa Pinzan (1,031).
Double-Figures Update
- With 24 points, Miller reached double-figures for the 33rd time in 34 games this season. She's recorded 10 points or more 88 times in her career of 116 games as a Terrapin.
- Meyers netted 14 points for her 28th game in double-figures this season and her 79th during her career, with 51 coming at Princeton.
- Sellers also reached double-figures with 11 points, doing so for the 28th time this season and 41st time in just two seasons in College Park.
Miller On The Charts
- With her 24 points in the game, Diamond Miller moved to seventh in career scoring in the NCAA Tournament with 180 points. She passed Deanna Tate (156 from 1986-89), Vicky Bullett (157 from 1986-89), Shay Doron (167 from 2004-07), and Brionna Jones (174 from 2014-17).
- Miller moved to fourth in single-season scoring with 671 as a senior in 2022-23. She passed Marissa Coleman (653, 2008-09), Crystal Langhorne (654, 2005-06) and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough (657, 2016-17) and Alyssa Thomas (665, 2013-14).
