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University of Maryland Athletics

Oluchi Okananwa vs Ohio State
89
Winner Ohio St. OSU 15-2,5-1 Big Ten
76
Maryland MD 16-2,4-2 Big Ten
Winner
Ohio St. OSU
15-2,5-1 Big Ten
89
Final
76
Maryland MD
16-2,4-2 Big Ten
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Ohio St. OSU 12 28 21 28 89
Maryland MD 24 18 17 17 76

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

No. 8 Terps Fall 89-76 In Big Ten Bout With No. 19 Buckeyes

Maryland lost its first home game of the season despite Oluchi Okananwa’s 27-point performance, which pushed her past 1,000-career points.

COLLEGE PARK, MD — The No. 8 Terps fell at home for the first time all season, 89-76, to No. 19 Ohio State at XFINITY Center on Sunday evening. Oluchi Okananwa and Yarden Garzon recorded huge games in the Big Ten bout, but a second-half rally from the Buckeyes ended Maryland's 16-game home winning streak, which dated back to last season.

Okananwa's 27-point, nine-rebound performance against the ranked Buckeyes pushed her past the 1,000-career point mark in her 89th-career game. After Sunday's game, which marked her 11th-career 20+ point performance, she's averaging 22.6 points in six Big Ten games this season. A game after shooting 6-of-6 from three-point range in Maryland's (16-2, 4-2 Big Ten) win over Rutgers, Garzon lit the scoreboard up with 19 points, including 5-of-10 shooting from deep. She recorded her eighth double-figure performance in her last nine games.  Rainey Welson hit a quartet of three-pointers while Isimenme Ozzy-Momodu grabbed eight rebounds, but the Buckeyes hit 11 three-pointers in their second ranked win of the season. Ohio State (15-2, 5-1 Big Ten) got 28 points from Jaloni Cambridge and 14 points from her sister, Kennedy, while Kylee Kitts pitched in 18. The Terps will have a chance at revenge against the Buckeyes in Columbus on Feb. 15.

How It Happened:
1st Quarter:
  • Okananwa created a pair of three-point plays to get the evening's scoring started and put Maryland ahead 6-0 in the opening minutes.
  • Garzon hit back-to-back threes to put Maryland up 14-5 midway through the first quarter.
  • Garzon's third three of the first quarter put the Terps up 21-9 with three minutes left.
  • Maryland took a 24-12 lead into the second quarter.
2nd Quarter:
  • An Okananwa layup got the Terps on the board in the second quarter. 
  • Kyndal Walker scored a physical layup early in the frame as Maryland went up 28-13.
  • Saylor Poffenbarger stemmed an 8-0 OSU run with a jumper to keep the Terps up 30-21.
  • Poffenbarger's second field goal of the quarter put Maryland up 34-25 midway through.
  • Garzon's fourth three of the evening created a 37-30 lead with 2:30 to play in the half.
  • Welson got on the board with a three in the final minute. 
  • Maryland took a 42-40 lead into the half.
3rd Quarter:
  • Ozzy-Momodu got the second half's scoring started with a second-chance layup.
  • Ohio State took its first lead of the game, 47-46, three minutes into the quarter.
  • A pair of Okananwa free throws brought Maryland within a point, 52-51, with four minutes to play in the quarter. 
  • Garzon tied the game at 54-54 with another three-pointer.
  • OSU took a 61-59 lead into the final quarter of play. 
4th Quarter:
  • A three from Welson made it a one-point game in the opening minute. 
  • Welson's second three of the quarter made it a 68-67 OSU lead with 6:45 to play.
  • Ohio State outlasted Maryland for a 89-76 win.
Double-Digit Days:
  • Okananwa (27 points) scored in double figures for the 16th time this season and the 52nd time in her career while recording her 11th-career 20+ point performance. 
  • Garzon (19 points) recorded her ninth game this season with 15+ points. She's scored in double figures 13 times this season and 77 times in her career. 
  • Welson (12 points) tied her career high in her second double-digit game of her freshman season.
Outstanding Oluchi:
  • Okananwa recorded another impressive Big Ten game with 27 points and nine rebounds.
  • She surpassed 1,000-career points on Sunday in her 89th-career game. 
  • She's averaging (22.6) points in conference games this season.
  • She's scored 10+ points in all but two games in 2025-26.
  • She ranks tied for second-most in the Big Ten with 39 steals.
  • She has the sixth-most field goals in the conference with 119.
  • Her 313 points this season are the fourth-most in the Big Ten this season.
  • She's posted three new career highs in points this season, each coming in a Big Ten game.
Numbers To Know:
  • 39: Okananwa's 39 steals are tied for the second-most in the Big Ten.
  • 53: Garzon's 53 three-pointers are the most in the Big Ten. 
  • 119: Okananwa's 119 made field goals are the sixth-most in the Big Ten this season.
  • 313: Okananwa's 313 points on the season are the fourth-most in the Big Ten.
  • 309: Maryland's 309 made free throws are the most in the conference this season.
  • 562: Maryland's 562 season field goals are the most by any Big Ten team.
  • 789: Maryland's 789 season rebounds are the most in the Big Ten. 
  • 1,000: With 27 points, Okananwa surpassed 1,000-career points.
  • 1,566: Maryland's 1,566 points scored this season are the most by any Big Ten team.
Brenda Frese's Breakdown:
  • "Really disappointed not to get a win at home. Credit to Ohio State. We punched first to start the game, but they responded really well. We put them at the free throw line too many times."
  • "They just made too many plays, especially when we would turn the ball over."
  • "I thought Rainey played with great toughness on both ends of the floor. I loved her next-possession mentality. She's been really resilient and she stretches the floor for us."
  • "We'll respond like we always do. We learn from film. We can't get too high or too low."
  • "Our bench is getting better, so that's huge and we have to keep taking advantage of it."
  • "We have to focus on being the more physical team, which I know we can be."
  • "We'll get to see them again and we'll learn a lot of lessons from these games."
Oluchi's Outlook:
  • "This is one of the best leagues to play in, so when we go to Columbus, we have to keep that in mind with our mentality."
  • On her milestone: "I'm proud to be doing it in a Maryland uniform."
  • "Not the outcome we wanted, but we have to take it and move on."
Garzon's Great Sunday:
  • "We're going to go back, watch film, and get ready for the next one."
  • "We have to be tough all game. We have to be more consistent throughout the game. We need everyone to be as tough as they can be, because we know we can do it together."
  • "I just need to keep staying confident with my shots. My coaches and teammates give me great confidence, but at the end of the day, you either win or lose, and that's what matters."
Up Next:
  • The Terps head to the West Coast for two Big Ten games, with the first coming against USC on Thursday and UCLA on Sunday.
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