#6 Excel H Ranked Terps Handle Hoosiers with a Key Player back for IU 

By Nick Jenkinson/Excel H Sports

      Indiana Sophomore and Silver Spring, Maryland Native did not want to miss a chance play in front of her friends and family and so after missing the last 8 games due to a lower leg injury she returned to the Indiana Hoosier Lineup as the Hoosiers at #6 Excel H Ranked Sports Maryland 82-67 Sunday night at the Xfinity Center in College Park, Maryland. Socka-Nugemen came off the bench and played 17 minutes and scored 4 points along with 3 rebounds and 2 assists. For Indiana it was another body available and a starter that will her way back into the rotation.

    Freshman Maya Malakusky scored a career high 20 points and drilled six triples to lead Indiana. Shay Ciezki 17 points and got 11 points apiece from Lenee Beaumont and Neveah Caffey. Phoenix Stotjin, Jade Ondineme and Jerni Kiaku played but did not score. Indiana was 26-49 from the field for 47%, 9-21 from three-point range for 43% and 12-15 from free throw line for 80%. The Hoosiers pulled down 26 rebounds, 12 assists, 1 steal, no blocks and 21 turnovers.

  Oluchi Okananwa scored a career high 31 points to lead Maryland. Okanawa was 12-22 from the field, 3-7 from three-point range and 7-9 from the free throw line along with 3 assists and 2 rebounds. Isimenene Ozzy-Momodu scored 12 points and pulled down 15 rebounds for her second double-double of the season. Former Indiana Hoosier Yarden Garzon scored 8 points in 35 minutes. Garzon went 3-9 from the field, 2-6 from three-point range with an assist and a rebound. Maryland finished 30-63 from the field for 47%, 6-20 from three-point range for 30% and 16-19 from the free throw line for 84%. Maryland pulled down 32 rebounds, 19 assists, 7 steals, 1 block and 11 turnovers.

  There were 2 lead changes and 1 tie as Maryland outscored Indiana 25-20 in the first quarter. The pace slowed down in the second quarter as Maryland outscored Indiana 14-12 to lead 39-32 at halftime. Maryland outscored Indiana 23-17 in the third quarter and led 62-49 going into the fourth quarter. Maryland outscored Indiana 20-18 in the fourth quarter as Maryland led by as many as 21 points and the Hoosiers led by 1.

  Maryland is 15-1 overall and 3-1 in the Big Ten after they suffered their first loss of the season on New Year’s Day at Illinois. The Terps lead all-time series with the Hoosiers 14-5 and now 7-1 in College Park and have won two straight in the series.

  Indiana is 11-5 overall and 0-4 in the Big Ten and has lost all four Big Ten games by double digits. Indiana will travel to Lincoln Nebraska Thursday Night to face the Nebraska Cornhuskers at 8 PM Thursday Night on Big Ten Network Plus. The Cornhuskers are 13-2 overall and 2-2 in the Big Ten after beating Purdue 78-62 Sunday Afternoon at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln.