Sarah Te-Biasu’s OT game-winner lifts Maryland vs. Ohio State

COLLEGE PARK — Shyanne Sellers quickly ditched the commemorative basketball she was awarded pregame with her accomplishments etched into it. The senior guard became Maryland women’s basketball’s first player to eclipse 1,500 career points, 500 assists and 500 rebounds earlier this season and was honored in the moments before tip-off Sunday to a standing ovation.

Then, seconds after she smiled and posed for photos with coach Brenda Frese at half court, Sellers heaved the basketball to an assistant coach on the Terps bench and found her spot in the national anthem line.

That’s just who Sellers is and has been for Maryland over her four-year career — uncomfortable in the spotlight, singularly focused on what’s in front of her and quick to shuffle individual accomplishments aside. Sellers blossomed from a role player on a Sweet 16 team as a freshman to leading deep playoff runs of her own and became one of the program’s most decorated players along the way.

The senior likely played her final game in College Park on Sunday, a 93-90 overtime win over No. 12 Ohio State in the Terps’ regular-season finale. Sarah Te-Biasu, not Sellers, was the hero by the end of the night, sinking a game-winning 3-pointer in the final seconds of overtime to overtake any pregame theatrics and cap the regular season with a statement victory.

“This was an important game for our confidence, to know that we can go into overtime and we can be short-handed, we can be in foul trouble and be able to pull out a game like this,” Frese said.

The fourth quarter Sunday ended in a tie at 78 after Maryland let a late nine-point lead slip away. Ohio State quickly scored the first five points of the extra period before Sellers brought it back to a one-score difference with a spinning layup. A Kaylene Smikle 3-pointer evened it at 87, and Te-Biasu put her first stamp on overtime with a go-ahead layup in the final moments.

The point guard got another chance to deliver seconds later and delivered with a running, one-legged 3-pointer. She was atop teammates’ shoulders at midcourt soon after.

Maryland players take turns competing by chucking half-court shots in warm-ups before every game. Te-Biasu said she nailed one before Sunday’s contest.

“It’s crazy cause today I made that shot,” she said through a smile. “I was really happy.”

Smikle led Maryland with 26 points in the win. Allie Kubek added 17.

Still, Sunday was largely about Sellers. She was Maryland’s guide through this season — Frese has consistently said the team goes as Sellers does. Her workload lightened when the coach brought in several instant-impact transfers in hopes of igniting postseason success, which spurred one of the team’s best starts in recent seasons through December.

Then Sellers missed time with an injury, coinciding with a midseason lull in which Maryland went 3-5 over a four-week stretch. The Terps recovered, winning six of seven to end the season after Sunday’s victory, which forward Saylor Poffenbarger was sidelined for in her second straight game out with injury. Outside of that dreadful January, when absences mounted and answers for how to overcome them eluded Maryland, the Terps have been sound and nearly unbeatable. Frese hopes that’s the team that will appear in the postseason.

“It’s been anything but easy when you talk about the injuries,” Frese said. “The resiliency this group has played with, to lose such an impactful player like Bri [McDaniel]it took a while for us to adjust to. Obviously we want to get Saylor back, but I do think the response out of that injury has been huge. The bench has taken ownership. This team has taken ownership that they just got to do a little bit more. So I love where we’re at.”

Sellers had another injury scare when she left a February game in the final seconds after falling on her knee. She briefly exited Sunday after being carried off the court in the third quarter only to return minutes later.