Takeaways from No. 20 Maryland women’s basketball’s 101-93 defeat to No. 1 South Carolina

No. 20 Maryland women’s basketball lost to No. 1 South Carolina, revealing the Terps’ bright spots and weaknesses as they transition to a traditional schedule.

Here are three takeaways from Monday’s season-opener.

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Addi Mack is back

Mack put up a career-high 31 points in the second half alone, accounting for more than a third of the team’s total points. She went 6-of-10 from behind the arc and snagged six rebounds.

The Minnesota native is the only returner who shot more than 25 3-pointers last season. She landed only one less than the entire team combined in the 2025-26 season.

Mack played just four minutes in the first half of Monday’s game, as play was essentially all South Carolina. When play began to pick up in the second half, she sped up as well.

Before the season began, Mack said she “likes to play fast,” also noting that she focused specifically on her accuracy beyond the arc.

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“Just being a knockdown, sharp-shooting, three-point shooter” was a major point of emphasis in the offseason, Mack said.

Her efforts in the second half started the road to a potential comeback, and though the Terps still lost, her value on the court only grew.

First half woes may cause setbacks going forward

Maryland’s first half performance set it up for disappointment. Its 12 points in the paint, 13 turnovers and 31.4% accuracy from the field dug the Terps so far into the hole that crawling out was nearly impossible.

The Terps ultimately outscored the Gamecocks in the second half of the game, 60-40. In fact, with less than a minute to go, they closed the game to just two possessions with a 10-point run. But working from behind for the entire game put Maryland at a huge disadvantage; one it wasn’t able to completely turn around.

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In the Terps’ exhibition game against No. 12 North Carolina, they also got off to a rocky start through the first 20 minutes, heading into halftime only up by one point. A slow first half forced Frese and the Terps to play catch-up,…

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Publish date : 2026-11-04 11:40:00

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