CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The crowd inside State Farm Center roared late in the fourth quarter as Maryland’s Shyanne Sellers lined up for a second free throw. She had missed the first, and an in-game promotion would reward ticket holders with free McNuggets if she missed again. After a flick of Sellers’s wrist, the ball rolled around every inch of the rim before falling though the net as an exasperated gasp came from the stands.
Sellers backpedaled down the court, smiled and gave a little fist pump, fully aware that she had denied the Illinois faithful. The Terrapins as a whole did, too: They remained undefeated in 16 meetings with the Fighting Illini in their 69-53 victory Sunday afternoon.