In a game that had more mood swings than a prestige TV drama, the Iowa Hawkeyes managed to escape College Park with an 85-78 overtime victory against No. 15 Maryland.
It wasn’t pretty. Actually, for about 10 minutes in the fourth quarter, it was downright ugly. But in the Big Ten, nobody asks how you painted the picture—they just want to see the “W” in the win column. For the youngest Iowa team in over a decade, walking into the XFINITY Center and walking out with an undefeated conference record is a massive statement, even if they took the most stressful route possible to get there.
A Tale Of Two Games
For the first 35 minutes, Iowa looked like it was putting on a clinic. They built a commanding 17-point lead, silencing a Maryland crowd that is notoriously hostile. Taylor McCabe, who had been in a bit of a shooting slump recently, shooting just 27% from deep in her last five games, decided this was the night to wake up. She drained three triples in the first half alone, helping the Hawkeyes take a 33-27 lead into the locker room.
When freshman Journey Houston went on a personal 10-0 run bridging the third and fourth quarters, it felt like the game was wrapped up. The Hawkeyes were up 66-49 with just over three minutes to play. The bus was running, the bags were packed, and everyone was ready to go home. But Maryland had other plans.
The Collapse That Almost Cost Iowa Everything
If you turned the game off with three minutes left to beat traffic, I honestly envy your peace of mind. What happened next was a meltdown of epic proportions. Maryland’s press, which had been annoying all night, suddenly became suffocating. The Terrapins forced turnovers, grabbed offensive boards, and capitalized on an Iowa team that suddenly looked their age.
The Terps went on a frantic run, chipping away at the lead while Iowa struggled to even get the ball across half-court. With seconds ticking down and the Hawkeyes clinging to a three-point lead, Maryland’s Oluchi Okananwa, who had already poured in a heroic effort, buried a three-pointer with just 9 seconds remaining.
Tie game. 73-73. Overtime.
At that moment, the momentum wasn’t just on Maryland’s side; it was practically wearing a Terrapins jersey. Most young teams would have folded right there. Giving up a 17-point lead in three minutes is the kind of psychological blow that usually leads to a blowout loss in the extra period.
Overtime Redemption For the Young Hawkeyes
Whatever Head Coach Jan Jensen said in the huddle before overtime needs to be bottled and sold. Iowa didn’t sulk. They didn’t panic. They simply went back to work.
The hero of the extra period was undeniably Chazadi Wright. The sophomore guard, who has ice water in her veins, decided enough was enough. She scored eight of her 18 points in overtime, attacking the rim and drawing fouls when Iowa needed stability the most.
While Wright provided the spark, Ava Heiden provided the muscle. Despite battling foul trouble all night, Heiden was a rock in the paint, finishing with a team-high 20 points and 8 rebounds. She managed to play disciplined defense in OT with four fouls, a veteran move for a sophomore player. Maryland struck first in OT, but Iowa closed the game on an 8-1 run, finally putting the Terrapins away for good.
Why This Win Matters For Iowa
Qinning on the road in the Big Ten is hard. Winning at Maryland, where Maryland Head Coach Brenda Frese rarely loses, is monumental.
With this victory, Iowa moves to 17-2 overall and a sparkling 8-0 in Big Ten play. That is the program’s best conference start since the 1995-96 season. It’s a testament to a team that, despite losing a generational talent last year, hasn’t missed a beat.
This win was also a necessary “gut check” before a brutal stretch of the schedule. The Hawkeyes return to Carver-Hawkeye Arena to host No. 11 Ohio State this Sunday, followed by a West Coast road trip to face USC and UCLA.
There won’t be much time to celebrate this one, and there is certainly plenty of game tape to review regarding that fourth-quarter collapse. But for now, Iowa can breathe a sigh of relief. They bent, they nearly broke, but they didn’t snap.
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