COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Tianna Hawkins scored 16 of her 20 points in the first half, and No. 9 Maryland cruised to a 76-36 victory over Brown in the opening round of the Terrapin Classic on Friday.
Alyssa Thomas had 16 points and Katie Rutan added 11 points for the Terrapins (9-2), who have won five consecutive games. Maryland leads the nation with a 19.1 rebounding margin and outrebounded Brown 43-24.
Lauren Clarke had eight points for the Bears (3-6), who have lost four of their past five games.
Maryland got off to a sluggish start and trailed until Rutan made a 3-pointer with 13:09 left in the first half for a 16-14 lead. Maryland took over and a layup by Hawkins capped a 12-2 run, helping the Terps extend the margin to 37-24 at the break.
The Terps shot 54.8 percent (17-31) in the first half and outscored Brown 24-12 in the paint. The Bears managed 10 points off 14 turnovers.
In the second half, eight points by Thomas sparked a 19-0 run and increased the lead to 62-31 with 6:02 remaining.
Maryland plays the winner of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and Hartford on Saturday. After the tournament, the Terrapins return to ACC play Thursday at No. 16 North Carolina.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.