Iowa women’s basketball (12-3, 2-2 Big Ten) suffered their second Big Ten defeat on the campaign and third overall loss on Sunday after dropping a 74-66 contest to No. 7 Maryland (14-0, 4-0 Big Ten) from a jam-packed Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
While the Hawkeyes were competitive late in the game, the numerous offense miscues and relatively poor shooting in the first half allowed the Terrapins to jump out to a commanding 48-27 halftime lead.
Despite shooting significantly better in the second half, Iowa could not overcome the first-half deficit as Maryland’s clutch shots and timely defensive stands held off the Hawkeyes’ push.
As Iowa regroups for its next matchup, here’s three final thoughts from Sunday’s loss that summarize the Hawkeyes’ efforts.
First-half turnovers proved costly
Iowa’s start to Sunday’s matchup vs. Maryland was marred with numerous mistakes as the Hawkeyes finished with 13 turnovers, leading to 18 converted Terrapins points.
While Iowa slightly cleaned up their game in the second half, the lost offensive opportunities from the first-half turnovers forced the Hawkeyes to play from behind for most of the game.
Iowa would finish with 21 turnovers that led to 27 converted points by Maryland. It’s been a recurring theme for this Hawkeye team and they need to clean it up beginning with their upcoming trip to Illinois.
Poor perimeter defense
Considering the numerous turnovers by the Hawkeyes throughout the game, Maryland finished with a relatively poor shooting percentage of 34.3%. However, much of the damage from the Terrapins came from beyond the arc as they were 9-of-17 (52.9%) in the first half and 12-of-25 (48%) as a total from long range.
While the Hawkeyes did play better perimeter defense in the second half, Iowa will need to correct this defensive gap sooner rather than later, as it can fester into a bigger problem if not addressed.
Maryland wasn’t a great 3-point shooting team coming in, but the Terps looked that way against the Hawkeyes.
Spirited second-half response
Despite falling behind by as many as 25 points, Iowa roared back into the game in the second half.
Even as their comeback attempt proved unsuccessful, the Hawkeyes showed fight and determination to keep competing against one of the conference’s top programs, which will build character for important moments later in the season.
Iowa hopes it rolls right over into the start of its Thursday date against the Illini. Slow starts have plagued the Hawkeyes and they would love to begin rectifying that come Thursday night.
Tipoff for Iowa at Illinois from the State Farm Center is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on Big Ten Network Plus (BTN+). As always, the Hawkeyes Radio Network will deliver radio coverage of the game as well.
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