By Zach Sturgill
Maryland women’s basketball defeated the Purdue Boilermakers, 99-66, on Senior Day on Feb. 22. The Terrapins honored seniors Yarden Garzon, Mir McLean and Saylor Poffenbarger before the game began.
“It’s always a really special day to be able to honor our seniors,” head coach Brenda Frese said in the postgame press conference.
The trio of seniors combined for 28 points on 10-of-19 shooting in the blowout win against the Boilermakers, including 11 from Poffenbarger, who was emotional following the tribute to her and the rest of the seniors.
“I was proud of myself, I only had tears in the locker room,” Poffenbarger said. “Obviously, it’s anticipated because it means so much to me, and I think whenever you feel those emotions, it’s because it’s that important.”
Being able to get a blowout win enhanced that feeling for Poffenbarger.
“Having a great team win makes everything a lot better,” Poffenbarger said.
Poffenbarger, a Maryland native, has spent her last two seasons with the Terps. In that time, she has valued being a Maryland Terrapin.
“Being able to finish here and be a part of the culture and be a part of such big memorable moments has been really special,” Poffenbarger said.
Junior Oluchi Okananwa led the way in this game, scoring 26 points on 11-of-16 shooting. She credited the three seniors, all team captains, for the team’s success this game and throughout the season.
“Each one of our captains lead in such a unique way that really brings us all together,” Okananwa said.
The whole team was motivated to get a win for their senior captains. Six players scored in double figures, and the team shot an impressive 56% from the field, nearly 11% higher than the team average.
“I think you see the chemistry in our locker room of how everyone wanted to play for our seniors,” Frese said.
This win marks the fifth in a row for the Terps, who have bounced back after losing three players to season-ending injuries earlier in the season and suffering a four-game losing streak to end January. The momentum that the Terps have found this month has taught the team a major lesson.
“You can go through adversity and some tough times, but you can come out on top,” Frese said.
With just two games left in the regular season, the Terps are getting hot at the right time. Now, their focus begins to turn to the NCAA Tournament, which begins on March 18.
Featured Image: Barry P. Gossett Basketball Performance Center on Sept. 19, 2025. Photo by Anika Stikeleather.