(College Park, MD) — Number Ten Iowa remained undefeated in Big Ten women’s basketball play beating # 15 Maryland 85-78 in OT on Thursday night.
The Hawkeyes led 48-39 at the start of the 4th quarter and built a 17 point lead with the help of an 8-0 run. There was 2:51 left and the Terps began their comeback — Saylor Poffenberger hit a three pointer with 1:03 left to cut the lead to 68-62. The teams exchanged free throws and after Chazadi Wright was 1-2 at the line with 36 seconds left, Kyndai Walker made a quick lay up to cut the lead to 71-68 with 24 seconds remaining.
The teams traded free throws again and Maryland got the ball trailing by three but Oluchi Okanawa hit a three pointer with 9 seconds left to tie the game at 73-73. Wright missed a jumper at the buzzer and to overtime we went.
Maryland scored first in the OT on a Okanawa to take a 75-73 lead but Wright answered quickly with a jumper to tie the game. After the Terps got 1-2 free throws, Wright was fouled and hit both foul shots and Iowa would never trail again. Ava Heiden scored the next 4 points and Wright put the game away hitting 4 more foul shots.
Heiden led Iowa (17-2, 8-0) with 20 points, Wright had 18, Hannah Stuelke and Taylor McCabe each had 12 — Stuelke added 11 rebounds and McCabe was 4-8 from three point land. Journey Houston came off the bench with 10 points for the Hawkeyes.
Maryland (17-4, 5-4) was led by Isimenne Ozzy-Momodu with 18 points, Kyndal Walker had 15, Okanawa 14 and Yarden Garzon added 12.
