COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The second-seeded Maryland women’s basketball team (31-3) topped 15th-seeded Iona (23-12), 74-58 Sunday in the NCAA Tournament First Round at the XFINITY Center.
Five Terrapins scored in double-figures and junior Shatori Walker-Kimbrough led the way with 19 points. She went 10-for-10 from the foul line. Junior Brionna Jones added 11 points and 11 boards, redshirt senior Brene Moseley scored 15 points, while Malina Howard scored 10. Senior Tierney Pfirman added 11 points off the bench.
The two-time Big Ten champions finished with a 42-27 rebounding advantage and outscored Iona 15-6 at the foul line to extend their winning streak to 10.
Iona earned a berth in the tournament by winning the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference crown. Facing a team rich in NCAA Tournament experience, the Gaels put up an impressive fight before succumbing.
Philecia Gilmore made seven 3-pointers and finished with 21 points. Her last long-range jumper, early in the fourth quarter, got Iona within seven points.
But Moseley made two straight baskets for the Terrapins, sparking a 10-3 spurt that proved too much for the Gaels to overcome. Iona missed its final 10 shots.
Maryland led 42-27 at halftime despite committing 11 turnovers. The Terrapins shot 64 percent and outrebounded Iona 20-11.
Maryland made its first six shots and got five points from Walker-Kimbrough in a 14-2 run that made it 16-8. It was 26-16 after a first quarter in which the Terps went 11 for 14 from the floor.
After going up by 15 at halftime, Maryland used a basket by Jones and two foul shots by Walker-Kimbrough to make it 46-27 early in the third quarter.
Maryland will play seventh-seeded Washington (23-10) in the NCAA Second Round Monday at XFINITY Center. Game time and channel information will be announced Sunday.
Tickets are available for Monday’s Second Round matchup in College Park. For more information or to purchase, click here.
The Terrapins are in the Lexington Regional, in which Notre Dame is the No. 1 seed. For the full bracket, log on to http://www.ncaa.com/interactive-bracket/basketball-women/d1.
In last year's NCAA Tournament run, top-seeded Maryland made a run to its second-straight Final Four. The Terrapins topped New Mexico State in the First Round, then beat undefeated Princeton to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. Maryland handled Duke, 65-55, then topped Tennessee, 58-48, in the Elite Eight.
This marks Maryland’s 24th NCAA Tournament appearance and 12th in head coach Brenda Frese’s 14 years. She's led Maryland to six Elite Eights, seven Sweet Sixteens, three Final Fours and the 2006 NCAA Championship. Her all-time record with Maryland in the Tournament is 30-10 (.755). The Terps are 15-2 in NCAA Tournament games in XFINITY Center.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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