#5 Maryland (23-8) vs. #12 Murray State (31-3)
March 20, 2026
Carmichael Arena (Chapel Hill, NC)
COLLEGE PARK, MD --Â Â The No. 5-seeded Maryland women's basketball team (23-8) will take on 12th-seeded Murray State (31-3) in the NCAA First Round Friday at 3 p.m. at Carmichael Arena in Chapel Hill, N.C. Friday's game will be televised on ESPNU and the ESPN app.Â
The winner of Friday's game will take on the winner of No. 4 seed North Carolina and No. 13 Western Illinois on Sunday at Carmichael Arena.Â
Click here for the full bracket.Â
2025-26 STORYLINES
What's UP
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The Terrapins earned 16th straight NCAA Tournament bid, dating back to 2011 and are a 5-seed in the Fort Worth 1 region. This is the Terrapins' 22nd Tournament bid under head coach Brenda Frese in her 24 seasons in College Park.Â
- Oluchi Okananwa earned First Team All-Big Ten honors by the league's head coaches and media and was named to the All-Big Ten Defensive Team. Yarden Garzon earned Third Team honors from the league's head coaches and Honorable Mention honors from the media panel. Addi Mack was named to the All-Freshman Team and Saylor Poffenbarger earned a Sportsmanship Award.Â
- According to the NET rankings, No. 14 Maryland has wins at No. 9 Minnesota, vs. No. 16 Kentucky, at No. 17 Michigan State, at No. 15 Ohio State, at No. 23 USC and at No. 28 Nebraska.
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Maryland is ranked No. 17 in the Associated Press poll released March 9 and No. 16 in the USA Today Sports WBB Coaches Poll released March 16.
- The Terps have five freshmen averaging 10 minutes per game or more in Addi Mack (26.8 mpg), Kyndal Walker (21.8 mpg), Marya Boiko (13.2 mpg), Rainey Welson (12.9) and Breanna Williams (10.4).
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The Terrapins are currently without four guards due to injury. Lea Bartelme (torn ACL Nov. 13), Kaylene Smikle (out since Dec. 7 with knee injury), Ava McKennie (torn ACL Nov. 27), Bri McDaniel (torn ACL in Jan. 2025) are all out for the season.Â
- The Terrapins are No. 9 in the country and No. 2 in the Big Ten in rebounding margin (+10.0). They also lead the league and are No. 12 nationally in offensive rebounds (15.7). The Terps are 12th in the country in scoring (82.3 ppg), 12th in scoring margin (+19.0). They lead the Big Ten and are No. 19 in the country in free throws made per game (15.42).Â
- Yarden Garzon is leading the Big Ten and No. 24 in the country in threes made (87). Oluchi Okananwa is No. 3 in the Big Ten in steals with 71, No. 8 in the conference in scoring (558) and No. 2 in free throws made (118). Okananwa also leads all Big Ten guards in points in the paint (10.8) and leads all Big Ten players in fastbreak points (5.2).Â
- 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.Â
- Maryland women's basketball is its 55th season and owns a record of 1,173-480Â (.710). The Terrapins are No. 11 all-time in NCAA Division I history in winning percentage and No. 9 in all-time victories.
ncaa tournament history
- Maryland is 55-31 (.640) all-time in the NCAA Tournament and 43-19 (.694) under head coach Brenda Frese.Â
- The Terps are 22-5 all-time in the NCAA First Round.Â
- This is Maryland's first matchup with Murray State.
milestone and streaks
- Maryland has won the rebounding battle in 25Â of 31Â games this season. The Terps are 21-4Â this year and 44-6 over the last two years when winning the rebounding battle.
- Over the last seven seasons, the Terps are 127-8Â (94.1%) when they score 80 points or more. Â
- Over the last five seasons, the Terrapins are 96-13Â when leading at the half. They are 38-8Â over the last two years when leading at halftime.
- The Terrapins are 86-4Â over the last four seasons when leading at the start of the fourth quarter and 272-6Â since they moved to quarters in 2015-16.Â
- The Terps are 115-5Â over the last five seasons when leading with 5:00 to play.Â
- Maryland has won 27 straight non-conference games at home, dating back to Nov. 11, 2022. Â
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Maryland has four 1,000 point scorers (Yarden Garzon - 1,598, Kaylene Smikle - 1,499, Oluchi Okananwa - 1,263, Saylor Poffenbarger - 1,184).Â
- Saylor Poffenbarger reached 1,000 career rebounds vs. Northwestern on Feb. 25. Only five other Terrapins have grabbed 1,000 rebounds - Alyssa Thomas (1,235), Crystal Langhorne (1,229), Brionna Jones (1,209), Marissa Coleman (1,139) and Tianna Hawkins (1,086).
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 630-177 (.781), 14 conference titles, 22 NCAA Tournament bids in 24 postseasons, three Final Fours, seven Elite Eights, 12 Sweet Sixteens and the 2006 NCAA Championship.Â
- Frese owns a career record of 687-207 (.769) 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.Â
- Maryland has been ranked for 340Â weeks in the last 22Â seasons, with 241Â of those weeks in the AP top 10 and 94Â in the AP top 5.
- Overall, the Terps have been ranked in 611Â of 903Â AP polls, which puts them at fifth-most poll appearances all-time.
- Brenda Frese has had a team ranked in 392 weeks in her career (384 at Maryland), which is ninth among coaches all-time.
- Maryland has started the season ranked in the last 16Â seasons straight and 21Â of head coach Brenda Frese's 24Â 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.
