Miller scores 18 as No. 8 Maryland pounds Northwestern 79-54

Updated Feb. 9, 2023 10:33 p.m. ET

Associated Press

EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Diamond Miller scored 18 points and No. 8 Maryland beat struggling Northwestern 79-54 on Thursday night.

Brir McDaniel added 14 points and the Terrapins (20-5, 12-3 Big Ten) followed up the program’s most lopsided win over a top 10 opponent with another dominant performance.

Coming off a 90-54 romp over then-No. 10 Ohio State on Sunday, Maryland outscored Northwestern (8-16, 1-12) 18-2 while holding the Wildcats without a field goal in the second quarter. The Terps took a 12-point lead to the locker room and never looked back.

Miller, the Big Ten’s third-leading scorer, also had nine rebounds and seven assists. The 6-foot-3 guard went to the locker room holding her hand over her eye early in the third quarter, but returned a few minutes later.

McDaniel, a Chicago product, shot 4 of 6 from 3-point range.

Abby Meyers scored 12 as Maryland won for the seventh time in eight games.

Paige Mott led Northwestern with 15 points. But the Wildcats lost for the 11th time in 13 games.

Northwestern missed 15 consecutive field goals at one point and shot just 35% overall. The Wildcats were 2 of 18 on 3-pointers.

Northwestern led 20-16 through the first quarter after Jillian Brown nailed a pull-up jumper at the buzzer. But things turned around in a big way after that.

The Wildcats missed all 13 field goal attempts in the second. Their only points in the period came when Courtney Shaw rattled in two free throws with 27 seconds remaining in the half to cut it to 34-22.

By then, Maryland had scored 18 straight.

Miller had nine of her 12 first-half points in that stretch, including a free throw and driving layup early in the quarter and two more foul shots in the final minute. McDaniel made a late 3 and the aggressive Terps were 7 of 12 overall from the field in the period.

BIG PICTURE

Maryland: The Wildcats turned up their defense and were more aggressive at the rim after a sluggish start. That propelled them to their second straight lopsided win after losing to then-No. 6 Iowa one week earlier.

Northwestern: The Wildcats have lost five straight against top 10 teams — including four this season — since beating then-No. 4 Michigan in double overtime a year ago. They are also 0-8 against ranked opponents this season.

UP NEXT

Maryland: Host Illinois on Sunday.

Northwestern: Visit Purdue on Sunday.

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AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25