No. 10 Iowa women’s basketball (17-2, 8-0 Big Ten) survives a furious comeback by No. 13 Maryland (17-4, 5-4 Big Ten) to escape XFINITY Center with an 85-78 overtime victory to keep their perfect Big Ten record intact.
Iowa’s offense had been stellar for most of the night, but miscues late in the fourth quarter allowed Maryland to score 17 points during the final four minutes and tie the game.
Ava Heiden finished with the team lead in scoring for Iowa with 20 points on 9-for-13 from the floor and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line, to go along with 8 rebounds and two assists. While the 6-foot-4 center played the fourth quarter and overtime period with four fouls, her ability to come up clutch in the biggest moments proved to be the difference-maker.
Hannah Stuelke also picked up her fifth double-double of the season with 12 points, 11 rebounds, to go along with 5 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block.
Maryland was led by 6-foot-3 junior forward Isimenme Ozzy-Momodu, who posted 18 points on 8-for-15 shooting and 2-for-2 from the line, to go along with her 12 rebounds, two blocks, and 1 steal.
With what turned into an unexpected scare on Thursday night in College Park behind them, the Hawkeyes will have a few days to assess their late-game strategies before taking on No. 11 Ohio State from Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Sunday, Jan. 25.
Final: Iowa 85, Maryland 78
In Heaven, There Is No Beer!
EXHALE, IOWA FANS!
HAWKEYES WIN IN OVERTIME!!!
1:29 1st OT: Iowa 79, Maryland 76
Maryland Timeout.
Heiden is playing exceptionally defensively with four fouls as the Hawkeyes hold a three-point lead.
Every possession is critical for both teams.
End of 4th Quarter: Iowa 73, Maryland 73
This game will go to a five-minute overtime period after Maryland storms back to force an extra frame.
0:30.2 4th Quarter: Iowa 70, Maryland 64
Timeout Iowa.
Hawkeyes are setting up a plan to execute the last 30 seconds, up by 5 points, with trips to the charity stripe almost certain.
0:44.9 4th Quarter: Iowa 70, Maryland 64
Timeout Iowa.
Hawkeyes will need to convert at the free-throw line to salvage a suddenly stressful game against Maryland.
0:58.8 4th Quarter: Iowa 68, Maryland 62
Timeout Iowa.
Hawkeyes’ lead is now down to just 6 points off a 15-4 scoring run.
1:35 4th Quarter: Iowa 68, Maryland 59
Timeout Maryland.
Terrapins making a late-run to cut the deficit to just nine points.
Hawkeyes need to convert on offense to thwart the Terrapins.
2:45 4th Quarter: Iowa 65, Maryland 51
Iowa is pulling away now, thanks to Stremlow and McCabe’s triples to keep Maryland at arm’s length, with the Terrapins running out of time in the game to make a comeback.
8:00 4th Quarter: Iowa 54, Maryland 42
Maryland Timeout.
Journey Houston has double-digits off the bench for the foul-limited Heiden, as the freshman guard has 10 points so far and the past 6 Iowa points.
End of 3rd Quarter: Iowa 48, Maryland 39
Iowa leads by nine points thanks to an 8-2 scoring run to close the quarter, but Maryland has shown they have the ability to make a spirited run with just 10 minutes to play.
Leading scorer Ava Heiden has four fouls at the end of three quarters, which will be a significant problem for the Hawkeyes if the Terrapins make a late run in this game. So far, Journey Houston has filled in nicely, but the defensive limitation Heiden will have down the stretch will make her a bit of a liability.
4:49 3rd Quarter: Iowa 42, Maryland 37
Media Timeout.
Hawkeyes are holding off a surging Maryland squad that has been getting good looks at the basket as of late.
Iowa will need to keep hitting its shots to fend off the Terrapins in the latter portions of the third quarter and the fourth quarter.
Stuelke Gets To 1,400 Career Points
With 5:47 left in the third quarter, senior Hannah Stuelke has reached 1,400 career points for the native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
6:46 3rd Quarter: Iowa 38, Maryland 34
Iowa timeout.
After extending the lead to 11 points thanks to a pair of buckets from Wright and Stuelke, Maryland goes on a scoring run to cut the Hawkeyes’ lead to just four.
First Half Moments
Halftime: Iowa 33, Maryland 27
At halftime of a very fast-paced game between Iowa and Maryland, the Hawkeyes carry a six-point advantage over the Terrapins off stellar defensive efforts and red-hot shooting from beyond the arc.
Iowa is shooting 14-for-34 from the field, 5-for-10 from 3-point land, and has yet to make a trip to the free-throw line, while Maryland is shooting 11-for-31 overall, 1-for-8 from deep, and a perfect 4-for-4 from the stripe.
Ava Heiden’s 10 points on 5-for-9 shooting lead the way offensively for the Hawkeyes, with Yarden Garzon’s 9 points on 4-for-6 shooting and 1-for-3 from deep leading the way for the Terrapins.
Defensively, the Hawkeyes have forced 10 Terrapins turnovers, including 3 steals and 1 block. As a result, Iowa has converted 7 points off of those 10 Maryland turnovers.
4:41 2nd Quarter: Iowa 27, Maryland 18
Media Timeout.
Iowa is lighting it up from 3-point territory with Taylor McCabe (3-for-3) and Chit-Chat Wright (2-for-2), which has the Hawkeyes pacing the play in the second quarter.
End of 1st Quarter: Iowa 16, Maryland 12
Iowa stalled out offensively to close the final 2:47 of the first quarter after getting multiple quality looks at the basket, but the Hawkeyes hold a four-point lead thanks to four points each by Ava Heiden and Hannah Stuelke on a combined 4-for-10 from the field.
2:47 1st Quarter: Iowa 16, Maryland 10
Maryland Timeout.
Maryland doing an excellent job guarding both Ava Heiden and Hannah Stuelke in the paint, but the Hawkeyes found a way to break down that coverage numerous times en route to a 9-0 scoring run and force a Terrapins timeout.
Iowa Hawkeyes Starting Five
Iowa Hawkeyes Injury Report
The Hawkeyes will once again be without sophomore wing Emely Rodriguez, who will miss her 13th straight contest with a lingering back ailment.
For Maryland, the Terrapins will be without 5-foot-10 freshman guard Rainey Welson, who averages 3.2 points per game on 32% shooting in 11.5 minutes per contest.
How to stream Iowa women’s basketball vs. Maryland
Streaming: Peacock (subscription required)
Tipoff Time: 5 p.m. CT
Iowa women’s basketball battles Maryland at XFINITY Center in College Park, Md., in a game that will stream exclusively on Peacock. Play-by-play voice Aja Ellison and color analyst Zora Stephenson will call the action from their courtside booth.
Hawkeye Radio Network
Iowa fans can also tune into Rob Brooks (play-by-play) and Kathryn Reynolds (color) on the Hawkeye Radio Network.
Series history
Thursday’s matchup is the 20th all-time between Maryland and Iowa, with the Terrapins holding the series leadat 12-7.
The most recent contest between the two programs was at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Jan. 5, 2025, when the Terrapins won 74-66.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa women’s basketball prevails in dramatic overtime vs. Maryland
Reporting by Scout Springgate, Hawkeyes Wire / Hawkeyes Wire
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