Smikle, Poffenbarger spearhead No. 21 Maryland women past Northwestern 85-79

EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Kaylene Smikle scored 23 points and Saylor Poffenbarger scored 16 points and 21st-ranked Maryland beat Northwestern 85-79 on Thursday night.

Sarah Te-Biasu added 16 points and Shyanne Sellers 12 for Maryland (21-6, 11-5 Big Ten), which helped its cause shooting 9 for 26 from 3-point range compared to Northwestern’s 1-for-4 effort from long range.

Reserve Melannie Dailey scored 22 points, Taylor Williams scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, Caileigh Walsh 15 points and reserve Grace Sullivan 11 for Northwestern (9-16, 2-12). The Wildcats missed 11 foul shots going 24 for 35.

Smikle’s early three-point play ended Northwestern’s opening-basket lead and the Wildcats spent the rest of the night chasing Maryland. The Terrapins led 22-15 at the end of the first quarter and reached their first double-digit lead with a Smikle layup to make it 27-18 with 8:38 before halftime. Maryland went to intermission ahead 48-30.

Northwestern reduced its deficit to 63-53 at the end of the third and outscored Maryland 21-7 in a little more than six minutes and got within 74-70 with 3:42 remaining on Dailey’s layup.

But Te-Biasu’s 3 with 53 seconds capped an 8-4 Maryland spurt to make it 82-74 and they held on from there.

Maryland next travels to Indiana to face the Hoosiers on Feb. 27.

Northwestern heads to Wisconsin on Sunday.

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