In the second round of the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament, the fifth-seeded Maryland Terrapins lost 74-66 to the fourth-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels on March 22, 2026, at the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.[1]
The game's most notable moment occurred in the third quarter when Terrapins head coach Brenda Frese confronted guard Oluchi Okananwa nose-to-nose on the sideline after Okananwa's turnover, three missed free throws and a missed layup, leading to her substitution.[1]
Frese told Okananwa: "I believe in you, but you got to want this moment."[1]
Okananwa led Maryland with 21 points, six rebounds, two steals and six turnovers.[1]
Postgame, Okananwa said she appreciated the coaching intensity: "Coach understands I’m a competitor at heart... I love to be coached hard. That’s what she does with me every single day."[2]
Frese, who has coached Maryland since the 2002-03 season and holds a career record of 688-208, explained: "It’s always been a pulse that I’ve been able to have with individuals and players... The best of the best, the elite of the elite, want to be coached hard."[1][3]
The loss eliminated Maryland from the tournament. It was Okananwa's first season with the Terrapins after two years at Duke, during which she averaged 17.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game and earned All-Big Ten honors.[1][4]
North Carolina advanced to the Sweet 16.[1]
Sources
- Fox News Digital, "Maryland Terrapins women’s basketball coach Brenda Frese came face-to-face with guard Oluchi Okananwa...", March 23, 2026, https://www.foxnews.com/sports
- The Athletic, Postgame comments on Frese-Okananwa exchange, March 23, 2026, https://www.theathletic.com/us/college-basketball/
- University of Maryland Athletics, Brenda Frese coach profile, accessed October 2024, https://umterps.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/brenda-frese/1228
- University of Maryland Athletics, Oluchi Okananwa player profile, accessed October 2024, https://umterps.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/oluchi-okananwa/23170
