Iowa’s women’s basketball team, ranked No. 10 with a record of 17-2 and 8-0 in the Big Ten, managed to survive a strong comeback by No. 13 Maryland to secure an 85-78 overtime victory at XFINITY Center. This win kept Iowa’s perfect Big Ten record intact.

The Hawkeyes’ offense was dominant for most of the game, but some critical mistakes in the final minutes of the fourth quarter allowed Maryland to score 17 points and tie the game. Ava Heiden was the standout player for Iowa, finishing with a team-high 20 points on 9-for-13 shooting from the field and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line. She also contributed 8 rebounds and two assists. Despite playing the entire fourth quarter and overtime with four fouls, Heiden’s clutch performance was crucial in securing the win.

Hannah Stuelke also had a significant impact, recording her fifth double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds, along with 5 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. On the other side, Maryland was led by 6-foot-3 junior forward Isimenme Ozzy-Momodu, who scored 18 points on 8-for-15 shooting and added 12 rebounds, two blocks, and 1 steal.

With this unexpected challenge behind them, the Hawkeyes will have a few days to review their late-game strategies before facing No. 11 Ohio State at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Sunday, January 25.

Key Moments of the Game

• 1:29 1st OT: Iowa leads 79-76. Maryland called a timeout.
• End of 4th Quarter: The game is tied at 73-73, forcing a five-minute overtime period.
• 0:30.2 4th Quarter: Iowa leads 70-64. A timeout was called for the Hawkeyes.
• 0:44.9 4th Quarter: Iowa leads 70-64. The Hawkeyes need to convert on free throws to maintain their lead.
• 0:58.8 4th Quarter: Iowa leads 68-62. Maryland made a 15-4 scoring run, cutting the lead to six points.
• 1:35 4th Quarter: Iowa leads 68-59. Maryland made a late run to cut the deficit to nine points.
• 2:45 4th Quarter: Iowa leads 65-51. The Hawkeyes extended their lead thanks to three-pointers from Stremlow and McCabe.
• 8:00 4th Quarter: Iowa leads 54-42. Maryland called a timeout.
• End of 3rd Quarter: Iowa leads 48-39. Maryland showed signs of a potential comeback with 10 minutes left.
• 4:49 3rd Quarter: Iowa leads 42-37. A media timeout was called.
• Stuelke reaches 1,400 career points: With 5:47 left in the third quarter, Hannah Stuelke reached 1,400 career points.
• 6:46 3rd Quarter: Iowa leads 38-34. Maryland went on a scoring run to cut the lead to four points.
• Halftime: Iowa leads 33-27. The Hawkeyes were strong defensively and shot well from beyond the arc.
• 4:41 2nd Quarter: Iowa leads 27-18. The Hawkeyes were hitting 3-pointers effectively.
• End of 1st Quarter: Iowa leads 16-12. Ava Heiden and Hannah Stuelke each scored four points.

Team Rosters and Injuries

Iowa’s starting five included key players such as Ava Heiden and Hannah Stuelke. However, the team will be without sophomore wing Emely Rodriguez, who has been sidelined for 13 straight games due to a back injury. Maryland will also be missing 5-foot-10 freshman guard Rainey Welson, who averages 3.2 points per game.

How to Watch the Game

The game was streamed exclusively on Peacock, with play-by-play commentary by Aja Ellison and color analysis by Zora Stephenson. Fans could also tune into the Hawkeye Radio Network for live coverage.

Series History

This was the 20th all-time meeting between Maryland and Iowa, with Maryland holding a 12-7 lead in the series. The last matchup was on January 5, 2025, when Maryland won 74-66 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.