#8/8 Maryland (15-1, 3-1) at Rutgers (8-7, 0-4)
January 8, 2026
7 PM ET
Jersey Mike's Arena (Piscataway, NJ)
COLLEGE PARK, MD -- The 8th-ranked Maryland women's basketball team (15-1, 3-1 B1G) will play at Rutgers (8-7, 0-4) Thursday, Jan. 8 in a 7 p.m. matchup at Jersey Mike's Arena. Thursday's game will be streamed on
B1G+.
2025-26 STORYLINES
What's UP
- Maryland is coming off an 82-67 win over Indiana Sunday in College Park. Oluchi Okananwa scored a career-high 34 points and Isimenme Ozzy-Momodu scored 12 with a career-high 15 rebounds.
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The Terrapins are No. 4 in the country and No. 2 in the Big Ten in rebounding margin (+15.4). The Terps are 10th in the country in scoring (87.6 ppg), 9th in scoring margin (+31.9) and No.10 in free throws made per game (17.75).
- Oluchi Okananwa is No. 7 in the Big Ten in field goal percentage (54.6%) and Isimenme Ozzy-Momodu is No. 6 in blocks (20). Yarden Garzon is No. 2 the Big Ten and No. 42 in the country in threes made with 42. Okananwa and Poffenbarger are Nos. 4 and 9 in the league in steals with 34 and 30.
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Maryland is ranked No. 8 in the Associated Press poll released Jan. 5 and in the USA Today Sports WBB Coaches Poll released Jan. 6.
- The Terps were picked to finish second in the Big Ten, behind just UCLA. USC, Michigan and Ohio State rounded out the predicted top five.
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Seniors Yarden Garzon and Kaylene Smikle were named to the 10-player All-Big Ten Preseason Team by both the league's head coaches and media panel.
- Head coach Brenda Frese and her staff signed two transfers in All-Big Ten honoree Yarden Garzon (Indiana) and 2025 ACC Tournament Most Outstanding Player Oluchi Okananwa (Duke). The Terrapins also welcome freshmen Lea Bartelme, Addi Mack, Rainey Welson, Nicole Fritea and Marya Boiko to the roster.
- Maryland will play six teams ranked in the AP preseason poll - No. 3 UCLA, No. 13 Michigan, No. 18 USC, No. 21 Iowa, No. 23 Michigan State and No. 24 Kentucky. The Terps will also play six teams receiving votes in Washington, Ohio State, Princeton, Minnesota, Illinois and Nebraska.
- Maryland women's basketball is its 55th season and owns a record of 1,165-473 (.711). The Terrapins are No. 11 all-time in NCAA Division I history in winning percentage and No. 9 in all-time victories.
series history
- Maryland owns the series over Rutgers, 35-12 and has won 16 of 17 meetings since joining the league in the 2014-15 season. The Terps have won 10 straight matchups, dating back to 2019.
- The Terrapins won last year's matchup, 78-61, in College Park on Jan. 2, 2025.
milestone and streaks
- Maryland has won the rebounding battle in 14 of 16 games this season. The Terps are 13-1 this year and 36-3 over the last two years when winning the rebounding battle.
- Over the last seven seasons, the Terps are 123-7 (94.6%) when they score 80 points or more.
- Over the last five seasons, the Terrapins are 90-9 when leading at the half. They are 32-4 over the last two years when leading at halftime.
- The Terrapins are 79-2 over the last four seasons when leading at the start of the fourth quarter and 265-4 since they moved to quarters in 2015-16.
- The Terps are 108-4 over the last five seasons when leading with 5:00 to play.
- Maryland has won 27 straight non-conference games at home, dating back to Nov. 11, 2022.
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Maryland has three 1,000 point scorers (Kaylene Smikle - 1,499, Yarden Garzon - 1,408, Saylor Poffenbarger - 1,062). Oluchi Okananwa needs 19 points to reach 1,000 in her career (981).
TERPS IN THE BIG TEN
Frese File
- Head coach Brenda Frese is in her 24th season in College Park. She's led the Terrapins to a record of 622-170 (.785), 14 conference titles, 21 NCAA Tournament bids in 23 postseasons, three Final Fours, seven Elite Eights, 12 Sweet Sixteens and the 2006 NCAA Championship.
- Frese owns a career record of 679-200 (.772) over her 27 years as a head coach.
- Frese was named National Coach of the Year by the AP, The Athletic and ESPN at the end of the 2020-21 season. In October 2021, Frese was the first woman inducted into the Washington DC Metro Basketball Hall of Fame.
- With the Terrapins' win at Nebraska on Feb. 14, 2021, Frese picked up win No. 500 at Maryland, which makes her the winningest coach in Maryland basketball history. Hall of Fame women's basketball head coach Chris Weller won 499 games in her 27 seasons (1975-02).
Terps in the Polls
- Maryland is one of the most consistent winning programs in the country.
- Maryland has been ranked for 331 weeks in the last 22 seasons, with 241 of those weeks in the AP top 10 and 94 in the AP top 5.
- Overall, the Terps have been ranked in 602 of 894 AP polls, which puts them at fifth-most poll appearances all-time.
- Brenda Frese has had a team ranked in 383 weeks in her career (375 at Maryland), which is 10th among coaches all-time.
- Maryland has started the season ranked in the last 16 seasons straight and 21 of head coach Brenda Frese's 24 seasons in College Park. The Terps have been in the AP Preseason Top 10 12 times under Frese and in the top five six times.
