Ready For The Moment: Maryland Freshmen Shine In NCAA Tournament Win

When the lights come on in March, and it’s time to dance, it’s not always the experienced stars who shine the brightest. 

In No. 5 Maryland’s 99-67 win over No. 12 Murray State on Friday night in the Chapel Hill Regional, it was a trio of freshmen playing in their first-career NCAA Tournament games that etched their names into Terrapin history.

Kyndal Walker, Addi Mack, and Rainey Welson combined for a program-record 45 points in the thrilling win, cementing themselves as the freshmen trio with the most combined points in a Maryland NCAA Tournament.

“That's who they are,” head coach Brenda Frese said. “They're floor generals that have the ability to take some of the pressure off of others and use their youthful bliss and energy.”

The three freshmen combined for 15 points in Maryland’s 28-point opening quarter that marked the Terps’ biggest opening frame in their last 19 games. Walker and Mack led Maryland in scoring at the half with 14 and 12, respectively. The Terps tallied 51 points in the first 20 minutes to mark their sixth game this season with 50+ first-half points.

“When you talk about Kyndal and Addi, and just how fearless they were in the first half scoring 26 points, I thought they met the moment and they played with a ton of confidence,” Frese said.

Walker led the charge with a career-high 20 points and five rebounds. Her 20 points marked the third-most by a freshman in her first-career NCAA Tournament game in program history, and the most since Lexie Brown had 21 against Army in 2014.

“I've been watching March Madness my entire life,” Walker said. “It was nice to finally be out here and be in this moment. I was super excited, and I think it showed today. I loved having the opportunity to go out there and play free and have fun.”

Mack scored 18 points in the win — the third-highest mark of her freshman campaign. Maryland only needed six three-pointers to beat Murray State, and Mack had two of them. Friday marked her 20th game in double figures this season, adding the latest chapter to a phenomenal debut season in collegiate basketball. 

“Addi's had a lot of opportunities to go out and play, and same thing for me,” Walker said. “We focused on taking it as another basketball game ,and not making the moment too big, like Coach B has emphasized. I think we came out ready and played hard. Once you play hard, a lot of times you're rewarded.”

Welson added seven points to Maryland’s 99-point onslaught to help keep her Terps’ season rolling. She was one of five Terps to dish multiple assists in as well-rounded of a win as Maryland’s enjoyed all season.

“I’m just super proud to be able to get to play and coach another day with this group,” Frese said. “They play for each other. They don't care who gets the credit. They just want to win.”

The three freshmen met the moment better than many could have anticipated. When the March music began, they tuned out the madness and honed in on the thing they know best: playing winning basketball. 

Their inexperience in the tournament was known only to those holding a roster card. To everyone else, they looked like seasoned veterans who had been molded by years of collegiate basketball to dazzle on the dance floor. 

Of course, the story of Friday’s dominant win couldn’t be told without recognizing Mir McLean’s career game. The senior spoke before the Terps left College Park about her readiness to leave everything out on the court in her final NCAA Tournament, and lived up to her word with a season-high 19-point, 14-rebound performance.

“I was trying to be my best and be an example for the freshmen playing in their first tournament,” McLean said. “The mindset was just to have fun and to not put too much pressure on the game. Knowing I’m a senior and my season and career could end at any night, I was just trying my best to be the best version of myself.”

McLean’s big night, the fantastic freshmen performances, and the hot start helped ensure Murray State never found its dancing shoes — the Racers entered the game averaging 86.1 points per game, but were limited to 67 points on Friday — while the Terps boogied their way into the Second Round on Sunday.