COLLEGE PARK — Freshman Addi Mack had 15 points and six assists to help No. 9 Maryland to an 88-70 win over Towson on Thursday night.
Maryland (4-0) lost starting guard Lea Bartelme in the second quarter to an apparent leg injury, but Kaylene Smikle returned to the lineup for the first time this season following her own leg problems.
Towson (2-2) was the fourth straight local team the Terrapins have played to start the season. They also beat Loyola, Maryland-Baltimore County and Georgetown. Towson is coached by Laura Harper, who played at Maryland under current Terps coach Brenda Frese.
Harper was the Most Outstanding Player in the 2006 Final Four, when Maryland won the national title.
Bartelme, a 5-foot-8 freshman from Slovenia who has started all four games for Maryland so far, crumpled to the ground in the second quarter while driving toward the basket. She had to be helped off the court, unable to put weight on her left leg.
“Knee injury — you saw that,” Maryland coach Brenda Frese said. “Just going to be evaluated in the next couple days.”
Although Bartelme had to exit early, Smikle returned to the court.
“I’m someone who trusts the process. I’m not going to rush back,” Smikle said. “I’ve had good coaches, good teammates who have been giving me confidence on the side, when I’m working out — just helping me just stay in the moment.”
Smikle played only 12:50, but she finished with a pretty full stat line — 13 points on 5-of-15 shooting with five rebounds.
“You can see what she brings to the table in such a short amount of time, with limited reps,” Frese said. “She just plays the right way. You saw when she was on the floor in the limited time, her scoring, her passing, just her understanding of the game.”
Mack may now have a bigger role if Bartelme misses significant time. The 5-9 Mack scored 23 points in a comeback win over Georgetown, and she followed that up by shooting 7 for 13 against Towson. Mack’s presence helped the Terps withstand Bartelme’s injury, at least in this game.
Maryland had 19 assists and 22 turnovers, but Mack had only two turnovers with three steals.
“She continues to grow every game. Clearly we need her offense. She’s given us a great scoring punch,” Frese said. “Just really running the team and understanding — I think that’s the hardest part in that position — when to score, when to get everyone involved, and understanding clock management.”
Maryland shot 58% from the field in the first half and led 51-23 at halftime.
India Johnston scored 23 points for the Tigers and Thalia Shepard added 20.
Smikle finished with 13 points, and Oluchi Okananwa had 10 points and eight rebounds for the Terrapins.
Up next
Towson hosts Coppin State on Sunday.
Maryland hosts Princeton on Sunday.
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