Sunday is a special day for the No. 14 Maryland women’s basketball team as the team will host its annual Senior Day event at the Xfinity Center. But this rendition is a little different.
None of the seniors honored Sunday spent their entire careers at Maryland. That was unheard of for most of head coach Brenda Frazier’s tenure.
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The Terps will honor Saylor Poffenbarger, Mir McLean and Yarden Garzon before taking on Purdue on Sunday at 1 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on Big Ten Plus.
“We look forward to celebrating our seniors on Sunday,” Frazier said.
Purdue University Boilermakers (12-14, 4-11 Big Ten)
Head Coach Katie Giltz This is her fifth season with the Boilermakers. She has appeared in one NCAA tournament, finishing in the top four in 2022-23, and doesn’t appear to be playing in another this season.
Purdue has four Big Ten wins, one of which was a big upset. The boilermakers dismantled the then-current number. 23 Washington in overtime – The Terps lost to this team in overtime this season.
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Otherwise, Purdue’s resume is relatively lackluster. Its only conference wins came against Rutgers, Indiana and Wisconsin. The Boilermakers had some close losses, but most were pretty big failures.
Players to watch
Tara Daye, redshirt junior guard, 5-foot-10, No. 44 – Daye is in her first season at Purdue after spending time at St. John’s and DePaul. She stepped up with the Boilermakers, leading Purdue with 12.3 points and 6.7 rebounds in her best collegiate season to date. She is also Purdue’s second-best playmaker, averaging 2.5 assists per game. Purdue doesn’t have a true star player, but Daye is its best player this season.
Kiki Smith, junior guard, 5-foot-7, No. 23 – Smith is in her first season with the Boilermakers after spending last season at Arkansas. She also played one season at Hutchinson CC and was named the 2024 NJCAA DI Women’s Basketball Player of the Year. This season, she averaged 10.7 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.
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Lana McCarthy, sophomore forward, 6-foot-4, ranked No. 35 – McCarthy is in her second season at Purdue where she is the team’s primary option. This season, she is averaging 7.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. She returned to the lineup Thursday against Iowa State after missing the first two games.
strength
not much. There are no metrics that put Purdue in the top half of the Big Ten. The Boilermakers shot more three-pointers and field goals than their opponents, but their shooting percentage was worse. They grabbed more rebounds and dished out more assists than their opponents, but ranked 15th and 14th respectively compared to the rest of the league.
weakness
defense. Purdue has a lot of weak spots. Despite this, the Boilermakers’ defense is allowing 71.3 points per game, ranking fourth in the Big Ten. Their average scoring differential is -1.2. Despite this, the Boilermakers have been significantly worse in the Big Ten, allowing 80.5 points per game, which ranks second in the league. In conference play, Purdue scores over 14 points per game.
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Three things to know
1. Seiler Poffenbarger’s farewell. From nearby Middletown, Maryland Seniors Day in Poffenberg is special. That said, she had stops at UConn and Arkansas before returning to the Terps. In two seasons at the University of Maryland, she averaged 9.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game.
“Having a bye week allows the emotions to come a little earlier,” Boffenbarger said. “Being able to come here and finish here … it’s a complete moment.”
2. The bye week should help. Maryland has lacked a lot of rest over the past two months. When it has it, it’s usually accompanied by some sort of trip. But the Terps haven’t played since Sunday, which should help them regroup at the end of the regular season and into the playoffs.
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“Our bye week comes at the perfect time. It’s really good for us to be able to really get some much-needed rest for our starters and the team that we’re playing a lot of minutes with,” Frazier said.
3. Ozzy Momodu’s health status. Isi Ozzie-Momodu suffered a calf injury against Ohio State on Sunday and did not return after the first quarter. There’s a chance she’ll be available, according to Frazier, but it wouldn’t be surprising if she doesn’t play on Sunday.
“I’m glad we have this bye week and can make her improve. But really, day in and day out,” Frazier said.
