Bibby scores 23 points to lead Maryland No. 10 in past Minnesota 87-73 – CBS Baltimore
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Chloe Bibby scored 23 points to lead a balanced attack and help No. 10 Maryland beat Minnesota 87-73 on Sunday.
Angel Reese added 19 points and 10 rebounds for Maryland (12-4, 4-1 in the Big Ten), while Ashley Owusu scored 15 points, eight assists and six rebounds. Diamond Miller had 12 points and six assists.
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Deja Winters leads Minnesota (8-8, 1-3) with 20 points in a series of 6 to 12 shots from outside the 3-point line. Sara Scalia had 19 points, Kadi Sissoko had 15 and Alanna Micheaux had 12 rebounds.
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Maryland took an early double-digit lead but the Gophers, playing their first home game in nearly a month, turned it into a game. Winters’ sixth pointer dragged Minnesota to within one point at 49-48 midway through the third quarter.
But in one crucial period, the Gophers made three quick spins, and Maryland did just that. A Miller transition and an Owusu jump quickly extended the lead to nine, and Minnesota didn’t come closer than five points for the rest of the run.
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The Terrapins scored from the start, pushing the ball to the floor and forcing Minnesota to move into forward defense. But the short-handled Gophers, who lost defending Jasmine Powell due to family issues, kept it close in a fast-paced first half.
Miller shouldered most of the burden of early scoring for Maryland. She made her first two 3-pointers and went 4 to 4 from the floor with 10 points as Maryland led 24-14 after the first inning.
The Gophers were held to a five-minute draw for the first two quarters, but they took the lead thanks to Winters. Students in grades 5-11, transfer graduates from North Carolina A&T, score four consecutive 3s in a 2 1/2 minute period. Wednesday’s score cut Maryland’s lead to 29-26 midway through the second quarter.
Owusu answered for the Terrapins with 3 pointers in a row, but Scalia then made two straight shoves for Minnesota to lead to 36-34.
Bibby then took over, switching to three-point play after a fake and manipulator and added a volley in the transition to give Maryland a five-point lead midway.
WHEN GOING OUT again
Minnesota head coach Lindsay Whalen missed a second game in a row after undergoing emergency appendectomy on January 4. Assistant coach Carly Thibault-DuDonis, who led the way. led the Gophers to a 62-49 win over Rutgers on Thursday, once again serving as head coach. The school announced that Whalen plans to return to the team on January 11.
BIG PICTURE
Maryland: The Terrapins continue to take care of the business against underrated teams. All four of their defeats this season have come to teams ranked in the top 10 at the time of the match.
Minnesota: With Powell absent from the game, Scalia handled Sunday’s point guard duties. Minnesota’s top scorer with 15.1 points per game hasn’t missed a beat in her scoring quest, but the absence of Powell, who has 5.7 assists per game , ranked third in the Big Ten, was certainly a factor in Minnesota’s 17 goalscoring streak.
NEXT
Maryland has another chance to knock out a top 10 team as it ranks 9th in Michigan on Sunday.
Minnesota visits Wisconsin on Wednesday.
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https://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2022/01/09/bibby-scores-23-to-lead-no-10-maryland-past-minnesota-87-73/ Bibby scores 23 points to lead Maryland No. 10 in past Minnesota 87-73 – CBS Baltimore
