University of Maryland Athletics

Maryland's Bench Celebrates Against Northwestern
57
Northwestern NU 8-20,2-15 Big Ten
79
Winner Maryland MD 23-6,11-6 Big Ten
Northwestern NU
8-20,2-15 Big Ten
57
Final
79
Maryland MD
23-6,11-6 Big Ten
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Northwestern NU 14 17 14 12 57
Maryland MD 20 24 19 16 79

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

No. 14 Terps Wrap Up Home Slate With 79-57 Win Over Northwestern

Oluchi Okananwa scored 25 points as Maryland earned its sixth straight win in an undefeated February.

COLLEGE PARK, MD — The No. 14 Terps rolled past Northwestern, 79-57, to grab their sixth straight win on Wednesday night at XFINITY Center. Oluchi Okananwa tallied 25 points as Maryland (23-6, 11-6 Big Ten) kept its undefeated February rolling . Okananwa dazzled again with 25 points and five rebounds. Her game-high eight points in the opening quarter ensured Maryland never trailed the Wildcats on Wednesday night. She's been one of the best players in the Big Ten Conference this season and grabbed four steals as she pushed the Terps to their 11th Big Ten win of the year.  Kyndal Walker had a big night off the bench for the Terps in the win. She netted 10 points to reach double figures for the sixth time this season. She scored four points in the second quarter as the Terps used a 15-4 run to build on their early lead and cruise to their 15th home win of the season.

Saylor Poffenbarger had a milestone night as her 13-rebound performance helped her reach the 1,000-career rebound benchmark. Her dominant night on the boards helped Maryland outgain Northwestern 43-34 on the glass. Yarden Garzon and Addi Mack scored 11 and 10 respective points to record double-figure nights in a game where Maryland committed a season-low six turnovers while forcing 21. Maryland was dominant in all faucets of Wednesday's win as the Terps moved one game closer to March. How it Happened:
1st Quarter:
  • Okananwa got the night's scoring started. 
  • Poffenbarger found Mir McLean as Maryland claimed a 4-1 lead. 
  • Mack got on the board as the Terps went up 8-3 in the first three minutes.
  • Breanna Williams netted a pair of layups in her four-point quarter. 
  • Okananwa scored eight in the opening frame as Maryland claimed a 20-14 lead after 10 minutes of action.
2nd Quarter:
  • Walker scored Maryland's first points of the frame. 
  • Poffenbarger drained a three-pointer for the Terps' first bucket from deep. 
  • Welson hit a three-pointer as Maryland went on an 8-0 run.
  • Williams created a three-point play as the Terps went up 31-22
  • Garzon nailed a three-pointer midway through the quarter.
  • Okananwa got in double figures late in the frame.
  • Maryland led 44-31 at the half.
3rd Quarter:
  • Okananwa used a physical layup to start the second-half scoring. 
  • Poffenbarger grabbed her 100th-career rebound midway through the third quarter.
  • Mack and Poffenbarger hit jumpers as the Terps took a 51-42 lead. 
  • Okananwa went coast to coast as Maryland extended its advantage to 56-45 with three minutes to play. 
  • Okananwa surpassed 20 points with two minutes to play.
  • Maryland took a 63-45 lead into the final frame. 
4th Quarter:
  • McLean hit a pair of free throws to start the scoring.
  • Garzon and Okanawa scored four alternating buckets as Maryland took a 73-51 lead midway through the quarter. 
  • Mack reached double figures in the closing minutes.
  • Maryland closed out the 79-57 win.
Double Figure Days:
  • Okananwa (25 points) scored in double figures for the 25th time this season and the 61st time in her career.
  • Garzon (11 points) tallied 10+ points for the 21st time this season and the 85th time in her collegiate career.
  • Mack (10 points) scored in double figures for the 18th time in her freshman season.
  • Walker (10 points) reached double digits for the sixth time in her redshirt freshman season.
Outstanding Oluchi:
  • Okananwa added a 25-point, five-rebound performance to her impressive 2025-26 Big Ten campaign. 
  • In 17 conference games this season, she's averaging 19.7 points per game.
  • Okananwa ranks in the top 10 in the Big Ten in points, free throws, offensive rebounds, and steals.
  • She's scored 20+ points 12 times this season, netted 15+ 18 times, and led the Terps in points in 16 different games.
Fantastic February:
  • Maryland grabbed its sixth straight win on Wednesday as the Terps moved to 6-0 in February this season. 
  • Maryland is outscoring opponents 499-390 during its hot month.
  • The Terps have won nine straight games in February, dating back to last season. 
  • Maryland's elite month features two ranked road wins of No. 12 Michigan State and No. 8 Ohio State.
Wins Over the Wildcats:
  • Wednesday night marked the 17th all-time meeting between Maryland and Northwestern, with the Terps victories in 15 of 16 previous games. 
  • Maryland moved to a perfect 7-0 against Northwestern at XFINITY Center. 
  • The Terps have now won the last eight games against the Wildcats. 
  • Maryland's biggest win over Northwestern was a 96-65 victory in 2017.
Brenda Frese's Breakdown:
  • "It's really nice to be able to pick up another Big Ten win before we go on the road to close out the regular season."
  • "I thought our play was strong. I was pleased with the assist to turnover ratio."
  • "22 points off the bench is something that'll really help us as we get into postseason play. We need that depth."
  • "I was really excited to see Saylor get her 1000th rebound here. Only five players here at Maryland have reached that. She's always shown that rebounding takes hard work, and that's who she is. I'm really happy for her."
  • "I want to thank our fans for being here all season long. Their energy in the building is something we've really come to rely on, and hopefully, we can have two more games here at XFINITY Center."
Saylor's Signature Moment:
  • "Every conference game is tough, so I do whatever I need to do to help my team win. I try to be versatile, playing defense and grabbing rebounds, doing whatever my team needs."
  • "Rebounding in the non-conference was our identity. We kind of got away from that, so our emphasis in February has been our rebounding and our defense. I've been more intentional about crashing because I know more opportunities give us more points."
Gucci Lucci:
  • "You look at the growth from the beginning of the season to now, I think we're peaking at the right time before postseason play."
  • "I've just had the mentality of showing up and doing my job. I know my strengths and weaknesses. I know what my team needs from me, so every night, I'm not trying to do more than that. Their confidence in me is something I don't take lightly."
Williams' Wonderful Wednesday:
  • "I've been waiting. Everybody's been telling me to stay ready, so I made the most of my opportunity."
Numbers to Know:
  • 6: The Terps grabbed their sixth straight win in an undefeated February. 
  • 9: Maryland posted its ninth game this season with at least five players scoring in double figures.
  • 15: The Terps finish the regular season 15-4 at XFINITY Center.
  • 18: Maryland moved to 18-4 this season when leading at halftime. 
  • 21: Maryland improved to 21-3 this season when outrebounding its opponent.
  • 43: The Terps outrebounded the Wildcats 43-35 to mark their 24th game this season with more boards than their opponents. 
  • 82: Garzon's 82 three-pointers on the season lead the Big Ten and rank sixth in Maryland single-season history. 
  • 452: Maryland's 452 free throws this season top the Big Ten.
  • 1,000: With 13 rebounds, Poffenbarger reached the 1,000-career rebound mark. 
  • 1,229: The Terps' 1,229 rebounds this season lead the Big Ten.
Up Next:
  • Maryland wraps up its regular-season slate with a road clash with No. 8 Michigan on Feb. 28. Tipoff is slated for 2:30 PM and the game will air on FOX.
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