Coach Brenda Frese of Maryland, pictured in 2015, said of the 129-point blowout, “Tonight was a really good tuneup for us.” | Mike Carlson/Getty Images
(November 3) – If you gambled on women’s college basketball on Wednesday night, and you had Bluefield State plus 128, you lost.
Maryland, the No. 6 team in the country, won its preseason game against Bluefield State, a small historically black college in West Virginia, 146-17.
By halftime, Maryland led by 57 points, at 74-17. Yes, that means Bluefield State did not score in the second half.
Maryland’s student newspaper, The Diamondback, reported that Terrapins fans began cheering for Bluefield State in sympathy.
“I loved our energy and our enthusiasm,” Maryland Coach Brenda Frese said. “Didn’t play the scoreboard, but really competed.”
They certainly didn’t play the scoreboard. Maryland outshot Bluefield State, 64 percent to 15 percent. It led in rebounds by 55-13. In steals by 35-4. In points off turnovers by a mind-bending 85-0.
Maryland used 11 players, with none playing more than 25 minutes. It also left some points on the court by shooting only 19 of 32 from the free throw line.
Bluefield State was perfect at the line: 0 for 0.
It was hard to find many positives for Bluefield State. It did briefly lead the game, at 3-2. But it made only six shots, and perhaps could be cheered that five of them were 3-pointers.
That Maryland won big should not be surprising. Maryland made two of the last three Final Fours, while Bluefield State plays in Division II, and not very well there. Last season, its team was 2-22.
Preseason exhibitions are often against weak teams. No. 1 Notre Dame will be taking on Roberts Wesleyan, of Rochester, N.Y., which at least was 22-7 last year, playing teams like Lancaster Bible and Georgian Court. On Tuesday, Connecticut, the defending national champion, beat Indiana by 111-39. That’s Indiana of Pennsylvania, not Indiana of Indiana.
While it is hard to see how much could be gained by romps of this kind, Maryland’s Frese insisted, “Tonight was a really good tuneup for us.”
And with the blowout in the books, Maryland can look forward to future contests that may be more competitive. Or not.
On Sunday, Maryland will host a second exhibition game, against Mary Baldwin. The Fighting Squirrels play in Division III.
Last year, they were 0-24. In one game, they lost by 100 points.
Source: New York Times
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