COLLEGE PARK — Off to its best start in six years, the Maryland women’s basketball team took the court Sunday against No. 19 Michigan State looking to prove its unbeaten record was more than the result of a relatively soft early-season schedule.

In their first major test in more than a month, the No. 8 Terps built a large early lead, took the Spartans’ best counterpunch and pulled it out in the end, getting key plays down the stretch — including a layup by Christina Dalce with 36 seconds left — to help secure a hard-earned 72-66 win before an announced 9,200 at Xfinity Center.

“Every league game is going to be like this. It’s going to be every possession matters,” Maryland coach Brenda Frese said. “I thought we were really resilient when you talk about staying the course for 40 minutes.”

“Confidence can’t be shaken when you have so much trust and love for each other, and I think we proved that tonight,” guard Shyanne Sellers said. “I think we put our best foot forward today. It’s huge … It’s a great win for us, but we’re not done yet.”

With the win, the Terps (2-0 in the Big Ten) are off to a 12-0 start for the first time since 2018, despite a roster that includes 10 newcomers and seven transfers. To match the school-record 18-0 start of 2006, however, they still have plenty of work ahead of them, with tough matchups against No. 4 Southern California and No. 5 Texas on tap over the next three weeks.“It’s one of the most competitive groups I’ve ever coached,” Frese said. “It’s not really about being undefeated. Of course, we love it. … I think it shows the work that they’re putting in. But for us, as long as we just continue to keep our head down and work hard through this process, I think that’s where you’re seeing the results pay off. This group hates to lose, and that’s where you want to be as a coaching staff.”

Kaylene Smikle scored 19 points to lead four players in double figures for the Terps, who built a 37-20 lead after a pair of free throws by Bri McDaniel (12 pounds) midway through the second quarter.

But Michigan State (11-2, 1-1) clawed back into it with intense half-court defense, forcing 15 second-half turnovers and scoring nine straight points to open the fourth quarter. When Spartans guard Theryn Hallock (20 points) drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 6:06 to play, Michigan State had tied it at 57.

In desperate need of a score, the Terps turned to guard Saylor Poffenbarger, who answered with a 3-pointer of her own to break a 4:54 scoreless streak to start the fourth quarter and give her team the lead for good.

“Ironically, we had a whole lesson about momentum yesterday,” Poffenbarger said. “They obviously were going on a run, and I think just getting the momentum back on our side was really important for us. I think that shot did that for us.”

Almost.

The Spartans still one more run in them, getting the lead to two when Jadden Simmons sank a 3-pointer with 51 seconds left.

The Terps, however, were then able to close it out, with Dalce first scoring a key layup, then stealing the ball from Hallock in the paint at the other end. Teammates Sarah Te-Biasu and Sellers each hit one of two free throws to seal the win, as the Terps closed out the game with 15 of the final 24 points.

All told, Michigan State shot 32% from the field, including 6 of 24 from 3-point range.

“It was probably one of our better defensive efforts,” Frese said. “You could tell the will to really get stops at the defensive end.”

The schedule only becomes more difficult from here, with six more opponents currently ranked in the Associated Press Top 25. There are now six other Big Ten teams in the poll.

“It will be the hardest conference slate we’ve ever faced, [and] I love to be facing it with this team,” Frese said. “With 18 conference games [and] only one team is a double, every gamer matters. Now you have head-to-head if it comes down to a tiebreaker with Michigan State. … Our players love to be in these games, in these big moments. Fortunately for us, there’s a lot more to go.”

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