No. 3 UCLA women’s basketball (16-1, 6-0 Big Ten) will face No. 12 Maryland (17-2, 5-2 Big Ten) on Sunday, Jan. 18 at Pauley Pavilion. Despite being sixth in the Big Ten, Maryland boasts wins against No. 22 Princeton and No. 7 Kentucky.

The Terrapins are coming off a 76-89 loss to the No. 14 Buckeyes and a 62-55 win against the Trojans. UCLA extended its win streak after defeating Minnesota 76-58 on the road, last falling to No. 4 Texas for its only loss so far.

Here’s a breakdown of Maryland’s lineup ahead of the game.

Personnel:
Coach: Brenda Frese
Bigs/Forwards: F Isimenme Ozzy-Momodu, F Marya Boiko
Guards: G Saylor Poffenbarger, G Addi Mack, G Oluchi Okananwa, G Yarden Garzon
Best Player: G Oluchi Okananwa
X-Factor: G Yarden Garzon

Stat Profile:
Points per game: 85.7
Field goal percentage: 47.7%
Points allowed per game: 56.7
Field goal percentage allowed: 34.6%

Frontcourt

The Terrapins play a smaller lineup, with only 6-foot-3 Isimenme Ozzy-Momodu listed as a forward on the starting squad. Ozzy-Momodu leads Maryland in rebounds, averaging 6.8 boards a game, while also holding the highest field goal percentage among starters at 58.2%.

Ozzy-Momodu has struggled to score against larger defenders, dropping only two points against Kentucky and five against Ohio State, leaving her likely inefficient against 6-foot-7 senior center Lauren Betts.

Maryland’s tallest player is 6-foot-4 forward Marya Boiko, who comes off the bench with 4.6 points on 16.3 minutes a game. Opposing frontcourts have been a decisive factor in both Terrapin losses, with the No. 25 Fighting Illini forwards scoring 39 points and the Buckeyes dropping 26.

For UCLA, Betts has not shot below 50% from the field since her game against Tennessee on Nov. 30 and is currently averaging 20 points and 11.5 rebounds in conference play, placing her seventh and first in the Big Ten, respectively.

6-foot-4 graduate student forward Angela Dugalić is contributing 9.6 points and 5.6 rebounds a game for the Bruins, further pressuring the Terrapins, even when Betts sits.

Frese’s team will be in trouble even if Maryland doubles Betts on the block. The Centennial, Colorado, local averages almost three assists a game, and the Bruins are lethal on the perimeter – possessing three players who shoot above 41% from deep and giving Betts easy kick-outs when her interior gravity inevitably attracts defensive pressure.

Backcourt

All of Maryland’s top-five scorers are guards, but only four are currently active – Kaylene Smikle has not played since early December because of a season-ending knee injury.

Oluchi Okananwa leads the Terrapins in scoring with 20.4 points per game across Big Ten play, placing her sixth in the conference, on 49.5% shooting from the field.

Despite that, Okananwa has been inconsistent, scoring only 10 combined points across a two-game stretch from Nov. 26-27, 12 points in the loss to the Illinois on Jan. 1 and 10 points in the Jan. 8 matchup against Rutgers. The Boston local is coming off a 27-point performance against Ohio State before just a 7-point game against USC.

Saylor Poffenbarger contributes 10.4 points and 5.8 rebounds a game and has added 56 assists on the season. 5-foot-9 Addi Mack, the shortest of the Terrapin guards, adds another 10.8 points and three rebounds.

UCLA’s shortest members are 5-foot-10 graduate student Charlisse Leger-Walker and 5-foot-11 senior Kiki Rice. Leger-Walker averages 6.1 assists a game while Rice posts 15.6 points and 6.4 rebounds.

The Terrapins’ x-factor will likely be 6-foot-3 guard Yarden Garzon, who currently averages 13.2 points a game and shoots 41% from the 3-point line. In Maryland’s highest-ranked win over Kentucky and both losses against Illinois and Ohio State, Garzon has been a top scorer, with two 17-point outings and 19-point performances across the matchups.

Garzon beats out guards senior Gabriela Jaquez and graduate student Gianna Kneepkens, both of whom stand at 6 feet tall and average 13.8 points, which may allow her to create mismatches on the penetration.

Nonetheless, the Bruins have 144 combined steals and will likely look to capitalize on Garzon’s 39 turnovers on the season.

Overall Team

The Bruins are currently shooting 51.1% from the field and have not shot below 45% since their Dec. 7 matchup against Oregon. On the other hand, the Terrapins are shooting 47.7% and have not shot above 50% since their Dec. 3 game.

UCLA also outscores Maryland with 86.4 points per game to 85.7. The Bruins hold opponents to 56 points per game, whereas teams comparably score an average of 56.7 against the Terrapins.

Regardless, Maryland is the highest-ranked team that UCLA has faced off against since losing to No. 4 Texas. The Terrapins are one of eight ranked teams in the Big Ten, behind the Bruins, the No. 8 Wolverines and the No. 11 Hawkeyes.