Maryland women’s basketball experiences its first ever loss to the University of Illinois

Maryland Women's Basketball vs Illinois at the Xfinity Center in College Park, MD (Courtesy of University of Maryland Athletics)

University of Illinois women’s basketball denied University of Maryland head coach Brenda Frese's 600th win in Maryland’s first ever loss to Illinois on Sunday at Xfinity Center.

Fifth-year Illinois guard Genesis Bryant drove to the basket against Maryland graduate student guard Sarah Te-Biasu, drawing a foul with six seconds left in regulation. She stood at the free throw line in front of this university’s Xfinity Center arena, that was collectively the loudest it had been all game and made two shots that would ultimately win the game.

After Maryland beat the Penn State Nittany Lions last Wednesday, Frese made it clear that she was still waiting for senior guard Shyanne Sellers to get back to her best.

“I mean, uncharacteristic of her to have five turnovers, and you know, she's getting her rhythm and her timing back,” said Frese.

She trusted her to take the final shot against Illinois.

Down by one, Sellers had the opportunity to win the game after Bryant’s free throws. With just over a second remaining, she inbounded the ball, got it back and shot a midrange baseline jumper that bounced on the rim twice and out, securing Illinois’s 66-65 victory.

“It felt good coming off,” said Sellers. “It sucks it didn’t go in.”

Before the game, Sellers moved around gingerly during warmups, touching her knee brace more than once, but she looked confident early in the game.

With just under four minutes to go in the first quarter, Sellers maneuvered around a screen set for her, dribbled to the free-throw line and banked in a floater to secure her 1500th point as a Terrapin.

She was only behind junior guard Kaylene Smikle for the Terrapins at the half, scoring seven points.

Thirty seconds into the third quarter, Sellers fell to the floor after contact and lay on the ground holding her knee. She limped to the locker room but returned just under three minutes later.

She hit the 3-pointer to keep the game tied at the end of the third quarter, but the Terrapins needed others to step up to stay in this game.

Maryland junior guard Kaylene Smikle’s consistency has been important throughout the season, and it continued in this game. She notched her 21st straight game, scoring in double figures with 15 points.

Before their game against No. 1 UCLA, Frese told Te-Biasu that she needed at least three 3-pointers from her, which she achieved in that game.

She missed the 3-pointer that would’ve been her third to put Maryland up by two points with 33 seconds left in the fourth quarter. She ended the game with 10 points, half of her season-high tally against Penn State.

Despite three Terrapins scoring in double figures, it was not enough to overcome Illinois’s scoring runs, led by a 20-point game from Bryant.

“Usually it's just Genesis,” said Frese. “So, you saw the role players, kids… making threes and their freshman, Berry Wallace, really impacted us from the 3-point line.”

Illinois shot just under 48 percent from the three, while Maryland shot 30 percent.

Sellers finished the game with 14 points, four more than she had against Penn State. She has yet to reach the 20-point games that she had in the three games prior to her injury as the Terrapins head into their final seven games before tournament play.