No. 8 Maryland couldn’t catch a break Monday.
The day started with the Terrapins announcing that key reserve Bri McDaniel would miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL in her right knee.
Hours later, senior Shyanne Sellers exited the second game of the Coretta Scott Classic doubleheader at Prudential Center with a right knee injury.
After getting blown out 89-51 by No. 7 Texas, Maryland head coach Brenda Frese didn’t have an immediate update on Sellers, who will be evaluated Tuesday by doctors.
Sellers leads the Terrapins in assists (4.9 per game) and is second in scoring (14.9 points per game). She also contributes 4.3 rebounds per game.
McDaniel, who hurt her knee in last week’s win against No. 24 Minnesota, has also been a key contributor to Maryland’s success this season. She averaged 10.6 points, 2.4 assists and 2.1 rebounds per game off the bench.
Sellers and McDaniel’s absences in Monday’s game “clearly” impacted the result, Frese said.
“We’re trying to regroup as a team, losing Bri and then having Shy go down was also extremely painful to be going against the pressing team with limited guard play,” Frese said. “But obviously playing a top-10 team and losing two of your top three scorers is a tough pill to be able to swallow.”
Frese said Maryland (16-2) had only two practices without McDaniel to prepare for the Texas game, but there isn’t an easy solution to filling the void left by McDaniel.
“You’re not going to replace a player like Bri,” Frese said. “Everyone has to do a little bit more and that’s a little bit more on the defensive end and lock it in … one player doesn’t have to do it, it’s got to be by committee.”
Now, with Sellers’ future availability uncertain, the Terrapins might have to start preparing for the reality of playing without two of their most impactful players.
“We’re going to have to find ways to get on the glass and get to the free-throw line,” Frese said. “No one is going to feel sorry for us. So you just got to figure out [how] to find a way.”
Maryland opened the season 14-0, marking the program’s best start since 2011-12. But the Terrapins have gone 2-2 since Jan. 8 and are in the midst of their most challenging stretch of the season.
Maryland plays at No. 9 Ohio State on Thursday before hosting No. 1 UCLA on Sunday.
“For us, it’s just understanding we’re not going to get too high or too low in January,” Frese said. “And we’re going to figure it out. We always do.”
