Iowa Hawkeyes Survive Maryland Comeback With Overtime Triumph

The No. 10 Iowa Hawkeyes women’s basketball team delivered a heart-pounding performance Thursday night, outlasting the No. 13 Maryland Terrapins 85-78 in overtime at XFINITY Center in College Park, Maryland. The victory preserved Iowa’s spotless Big Ten record (now 8-0) and extended their overall mark to 17-2, but it was anything but a walk in the park. Maryland, hungry to recover from a recent slump, mounted a furious late-game rally, forcing the Hawkeyes to dig deep and come up big in the extra period.

From the opening tip, the stage was set for a classic Big Ten showdown. Iowa, riding high on a six-game win streak that included impressive victories over Michigan State and Oregon, came into the contest as one of the conference’s hottest teams. Maryland, meanwhile, was licking its wounds after a tough 97-67 loss to No. 3 UCLA and a recent home defeat to No. 19 Ohio State, eager to prove they could still hang with the league’s elite.

The Hawkeyes wasted no time asserting themselves, using red-hot shooting from beyond the arc and relentless defensive pressure to build a six-point halftime lead. Iowa’s offense was firing on all cylinders—Taylor McCabe was perfect from deep, going 3-for-3, while Chit-Chat Wright added two more triples. Ava Heiden, the 6-foot-4 sophomore center, led the charge early with 10 first-half points on 5-for-9 shooting, and the Hawkeyes forced 10 Maryland turnovers before the break, converting those miscues into seven points.

Yet, the Terrapins refused to go quietly. Maryland, led by junior forward Isimenme Ozzy-Momodu, began to chip away at the deficit in the third quarter. Ozzy-Momodu was a force inside, finishing with 18 points on 8-for-15 shooting, 12 rebounds, two blocks, and a steal. As Iowa’s Ava Heiden picked up her fourth foul late in the third, the Hawkeyes were forced to rely on their bench. Freshman guard Journey Houston stepped up, tallying 10 points off the bench and keeping Iowa afloat during a tense stretch.

By the start of the fourth quarter, the game’s intensity had ratcheted up several notches. Iowa’s lead, once as large as 11, began to evaporate as Maryland unleashed a 17-point barrage in the final four minutes of regulation. The Terrapins’ defense tightened, their offense found a new gear, and suddenly, the Hawkeyes’ once-comfortable cushion was gone. With the score tied at the end of regulation, the two teams braced for a five-minute overtime period, the outcome hanging in the balance.

“Every possession is critical for both teams,” echoed the courtside commentary as the game teetered on a knife’s edge. Iowa head coach Jan Jensen called multiple timeouts, trying to steady her squad and draw up the right plays for the final possessions. The Hawkeyes, who had seen their lead slip away, now faced the ultimate test of their resolve.

In the overtime session, it was Ava Heiden who rose to the occasion. Despite playing with four fouls, Heiden scored crucial baskets and grabbed key rebounds, finishing the night with a team-high 20 points on 9-for-13 shooting, 8 rebounds, and 2 assists. Her poise under pressure was nothing short of remarkable. “Heiden is playing exceptionally defensively with four fouls as the Hawkeyes hold a three-point lead,” the broadcast noted. Each trip to the free-throw line, each defensive stop, felt monumental as the seconds ticked away.

Hannah Stuelke, Iowa’s senior leader from Cedar Rapids, added her own chapter to the story with her fifth double-double of the season: 12 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, a steal, and a block. During the third quarter, Stuelke reached the 1,400 career point milestone, a testament to her consistency and impact. “The best is yet to come,” Iowa’s social media teased before the game, and Stuelke certainly delivered when it mattered most.

On the other side, Maryland’s resilience was embodied by Ozzy-Momodu and a supporting cast that refused to give in, even as the clock worked against them. The Terrapins’ late surge was fueled by aggressive drives and clutch shooting, but ultimately, Iowa’s composure at the charity stripe and timely three-pointers from Stremlow and McCabe proved too much to overcome.

The contest was not without its complications. Iowa was once again without sophomore wing Emely Rodriguez, sidelined for her 13th consecutive game with a lingering back injury—a situation described as “not a good sign!” by Hawkeye fans. Maryland, too, was shorthanded, missing freshman guard Rainey Welson, who averages 3.2 points per game. Both teams had to adjust their rotations, putting added pressure on their stars and bench players alike.

As the final buzzer sounded in overtime, Iowa fans could finally exhale. The Hawkeyes had survived a scare, escaping College Park with a hard-fought victory that kept their Big Ten record unblemished. “EXHALE, IOWA FANS! HAWKEYES WIN IN OVERTIME!!!” one fan account posted in celebration, capturing the collective relief and joy of the Iowa faithful.

For head coach Jan Jensen, now in her second year at the helm, the win was another affirmation of her team’s grit and growth. Iowa’s ability to withstand Maryland’s best punch, especially in a hostile road environment, bodes well as the Hawkeyes turn their attention to the next challenge. Up next: a marquee matchup against No. 11 Ohio State at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on January 25, a clash that promises to test Iowa’s mettle once again.

Maryland, meanwhile, will have to regroup after another close defeat. Head coach Brenda Frese remained optimistic despite the setback, recently remarking, “The beauty of the league is there’s always another opportunity. We’ll get home and get ready for Iowa.” While the Terrapins’ recent struggles have dropped them in the AP rankings, their performance against Iowa showed flashes of the team’s potential—especially in crunch time.

With the Big Ten race heating up and every game taking on added significance, the Hawkeyes’ overtime triumph in College Park stands as a testament to their resilience and championship aspirations. The drama, the swings in momentum, and the star turns from Heiden, Stuelke, and Ozzy-Momodu made this a night to remember for women’s college basketball fans everywhere. And as the season rolls on, both Iowa and Maryland will look to build on the lessons learned in this instant classic.