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Maryland coach Brenda Frese says ‘something changed’ in 2nd-half officiating vs. South Carolina
By Mark Kern
Published:
Maryland was right in its Sweet 16 matchup against the defending national champion South Carolina Gamecocks, before losing by a score of 71-67.
The game was close the entire way, with the Terrapins taking a 33-31 lead at the half. A big reason why Maryland was winning in the first half was because of how well the team was doing at getting to the rim and drawing fouls. In the first half, the Terrapins were able to get to the free throw line 16 times, compared to only 2 in the second half.
While talking to reporters after the game, Frese said something changed with how the game was being officiated after halftime.
“We got to the free-throw line quite a bit in the first half and then all of the sudden it changed in the second half,” Frese said. “We got there two times? After getting there, you know, in the first half. So something changed … We just for whatever reason weren’t able to get to the free-throw line and that’s a big piece of who we are.”
For the game, the Terrapins were 13-of-18 from the free throw line, while the Gamecocks finished 17-of-21. A lot of those attempts for South Carolina came in the final minute when Maryland was fouling to stop the clock.
Maryland sees its season end in the Sweet 16 at 25-8, while the Gamecocks are in the Elite Eight for the fifth consecutive year under coach Dawn Staley.
The Gamecocks will be in action Sunday to take on Duke for a spot in the Final Four. The Blue Devils won a 47-38 defensive battle against North Carolina.
