Maryland

Iowa women’s basketball: 3 things to watch as No. 22 Hawkeyes host No. 7 Maryland

Published

11 months ago

January 3, 2025

Iowa women’s basketball: 3 things to watch as No. 22 Hawkeyes host No. 7 Maryland

IOWA CITY — For an Iowa women’s basketball program that’s played in back-to-back NCAA title games and has multiple names still active from those runs, any matchup deemed a “big game” is subjective at best. It’s early January after all. Moments of greater magnitude are inevitably ahead.

Still, Iowa’s next affair inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena is probably as significant as any showdown could be on Jan. 5.

The No. 22 Hawkeyes (12-2, 2-1 Big Ten Conference) welcome No. 7 Maryland (13-0, 3-0) to town for Sunday’s 5 p.m. contest, which will feature plenty of intensity that’s become synonymous with this elite women’s basketball matchup. Iowa’s vibrant venue will put on its best face for one of the season’s premier home games. It’s only fitting former head coach Lisa Bluder will be honored at halftime as the environment she helped construct roars around her.

“Getting into conference play is when you want to see things start to come together a little bit,” junior guard Taylor McCabe said. “It’s about that time for us. I think this team, our ceiling is very high. And we have a lot of room to grow.”

With that, here are three things to watch ahead of Sunday’s important matchup.

Can the Hawkeyes stay on the right side of the line between productively unpredictable and frustratingly inconsistent?

It’s hard to argue there’s a more productive way Iowa could’ve done business up to this point in the season. The Hawkeyes’ record looks sharp, without any major faceplants. The program cohesion seems to be ascending with each passing game. And while the offensive production has been maybe a bit more erratic than expected, Iowa has leaned into having abundant contributions that can come from anywhere.

“I’m appreciating that they’ve really understood the strength of this team is every single one of them,” Jensen said. “And I mean every one of them. Practice even, the kids who don’t always get in are golden. And hopefully everyone in their orbits can keep fanning what they’re doing because that gives us the best opportunity to win. The team is certainly all about it.”

Hearing those virtues is nothing new for those who have followed this program’s recent ascension. Every squad, to some extent, preaches the team-first concept. But being able to thrive on it, with everyone understanding this is Iowa’s best chance to win each night, is much harder to execute. The culture already in place has accelerated that transition from a veteran group that thrived with firm expectations.

Take Iowa’s last three game as a microcosm. Wins over Northern Iowa, Purdue and Penn State saw the Hawkeyes have three different leading scorers and three different leading rebounders. When Lucy Olsen was off offensively the last two games, her teammates and Iowa’s defense picked up the slack. Those moments are significant as this group encounters them for the first time together.

Of course, it doesn’t take but a few negative results to flip the narrative on not knowing who is going to lead the way each night. Banking on some kind of skid unfolding during Big Ten play is probably a safe bet with how deep the league runs. So the Hawkeyes must make sure their cohesion is in a place that can handle it whenever it arrives.

Until then, Iowa’s unpredictable nature remains a positive.

Hear from Taylor McCabe, Sydney Affolter ahead of Iowa women’s basketball vs. Maryland

Is Taylor McCabe’s role set to expand amid this run of bench success?

Many, including McCabe herself, weren’t surprised to see her shift to the bench once Sydney Affolter returned early in the non-conference. Handling that shift, especially for someone like McCabe who has patiently waited her turn, wasn’t a slam dunk.

McCabe handled it just fine. She has 41 points over the Hawkeyes’ previous four contests, while shooting 13-for-24 from deep in that span. On average, McCabe has played 11 more minutes per game over the last three games than Kylie Feuerbach has.

“From a mental standpoint, it was interesting at first,” McCabe said. “Any time you get shifted in a lineup, it’s going to mess with you just a touch. But then I think getting back to practice with repetition and getting more into the game flow, finding a comfort level there was a big deal for me. I feel like I’ve gotten to that point.

“Moving forward, I think the coaches are going to keep rolling with whatever is working and keep everybody’s confidence high. That’s going to be a big deal for the whole team.”

While a starting lineup change would be the more deliberate move, having McCabe in with the closing unit is arguably more significant than who is on the floor at tipoff. That’s more reality than coaching cliche, especially with Iowa likely in numerous tight affairs over the next couple months.

Is it too early to start NCAA Tournament discussions? Maybe a tad, but could this result loom large on Selection Sunday?

NCAA Tournament bracketologies used to not be a year-long thing, previously starting with regular updates sometime during conference play. Now, though? There are way-too-early offseason bracketologies, preseason bracketologies and pretty much weekly projections the second the season tips off. When to take them seriously has become a harder task than before.

While it still feels a bit early to place any kind of tight range on Iowa’s NCAA Tournament outlook — especially considering the ranked opponents scheduled in February — it’s easy to see a Hawkeyes win on Sunday carrying significant weight on a March Madness resume.

For starters, this is the only scheduled Iowa-Maryland matchup of the season. Yes, they could meet again at the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis. But Sunday’s result could have a role in any tiebreaker scenarios for that event, or as an unofficial tiebreaker if the two are competing for similar NCAA Tournament seeds.

Second, the Hawkeyes could use some high-end substance on their NET sheet. With the quad system coming to the women’s side to join the NET rankings that have already done the same, dissecting who you beat and where you beat them has never been more significant.

A quick quad refresher on the NET ranking ranges associated with each level of win:

Quad 1: Home game vs. opponent ranked 1-25, neutral court vs. opponent ranked 1-35, road game vs. opponent ranked 1-45
Quad 2: 26-55 home, 36-65 neutral, 46-80 road
Quad 3: 56-90 home, 66-105 neutral, 81-130 road
Quad 4: 91-362 home, 106-362 neutral, 131-362 road

Iowa currently sits 30th in the NET but is 0-2 in its only Quad 1 opportunities (vs. Tennessee in Brooklyn, at Michigan State). Two of the Hawkeyes’ Quad 2 games are barely in range — home vs. Iowa State (50), at Drake (79) — so getting a Quad 1 win over Maryland (22) would immediately enhance everything Iowa has done.

The Big Ten is a projection logjam right now. Nine teams are ranked between 20th and 39th in the NET. Nine teams are between a No. 5 and a No. 11 seed in Charlie Creme’s latest ESPN bracketology. Acquiring any kind of win that stands out among several good-but-flawed NCAA Tournament resumes can make a ton of difference down the stretch.

The Hawkeyes will obviously have more high-end chances after Sunday’s game, several of them at home. But this feels like Iowa’s most manageable opportunity against an elite team.

Dargan Southard is a sports trending reporter and covers Iowa athletics for the Des Moines Register and HawkCentral.com. Email him at msouthard@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.

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Maryland

4 takeaways from Michigan Basketball’s 101-83 win at Maryland

Published

2 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Press Room

4 takeaways from Michigan Basketball’s 101-83 win at Maryland

It wasn’t a 40-point win like the Michigan Wolverines have been used to, but they put together a strong second half to take down the Maryland Terrapins, 101-83, on the road Saturday night.

The Wolverines haven’t had a true road test in over a month, and it took 30 minutes to shake off the dust. While Maryland had a strong night from the three-point line to flirt with an upset, Michigan stuck to its game plan and went on a run in the final 10 minutes of the contest to win the game.

There is a lot to unpack, so here are four takeaways:

David “Diggi” Coit legacy first half

The Terrapins gave Michigan its first deficit going into halftime this season, and it can be largely thanks to point guard David “Diggi” Coit. The Northern Illinois and Kansas transfer was on another level in the first half, scoring 22 points on 7-for-13 shooting, including six makes from three.

Coit wasn’t just sitting in the corner either. He was creating his own shot from everywhere on the hardwood, going up against Michigan’s Elliot Cadeau, Yaxel Lendeborg, and even hitting one in the face of Morez Johnson Jr., all of whom are taller than the graduate transfer.

He continued his hot streak to start the second half, but eventually cooled off and finished with 31 points. It was a remarkable showing, and it should be a good sign for the Terrapins going forward if he can produce every night like Saturday.

As for Michigan, it was a good test to face a player who could not miss for a half, and learn how to adjust at halftime to take away the threat. It will happen again, and as Dusty May always says, it is better for it to happen now than in March.

Michigan hasn’t played a close game since Nov. 14. Its reserve players have seen a ton of action, but it came at the expense of the Wolverines having to put games away at a consistent rate. While Maryland put the pressure on Michigan for 30 minutes, the final 10 are what gives May confidence in a potential national championship for this team.

The Wolverines shot 8-for-10 from the field to balloon their lead from five to 15 in a matter of minutes. It was an uncomfortable, yet promising finish for the Wolverines.

When many top teams would start forcing shots, Michigan continue to attack the paint and get the ball in the hands of its go-to players, capitalizing on a Maryland cold streak to go from a deficit to a double-digit lead late in the game.

There are a lot of talented teams on Michigan’s schedule, and there will be a few more matchups with spunky teams like Maryland that will force the Wolverines to lock in. They passed this test and can rest easy as they face some lighter non-conference opponents before the New Year.

When Michigan has needed a spark since its tournament in Las Vegas, the Wolverines have turned to their top transfer portal get — Yaxel Lendeborg. He led Michigan scorers with 13 points in the first half, but coming out of halftime down seven points, he was on a whole other level. Lendeborg put the ball in his own hands with 20 minutes to go, scoring 10 straight points to start the second, bringing Michigan within one point.

As Maryland continued to keep pace, Lendeborg would not let up and put together seven more points to get to 29 points for the night and 16 for the half with 11 minutes still to go.

When Maryland started double-teaming Lendeborg, he started spreading the wealth and giving his teammates open-opportunities. Elliot Cadeau knocked down a couple of shots, L.J. Cason made back-to-back threes and Mara was putting on a show with reverse dunks and alley-oops. Before long, Michigan held a 15-point lead.

While it was tough-sledding for most of the team in College Park, Michigan showed it only needed a couple of guys to be in rhythm to keep pace and even lead opponents who were having their best shooting night.

Michigan continued dominance in the paint

You can try to beat Michigan with the three-ball, but it is going to be very hard to claim ultimate victory if you can’t stop it in the paint. The Terps shot 55 percent from behind the arc in the first half and 48 percent in the second half, but Michigan didn’t mess around down low in the paint.

The Wolverines dominated Maryland, 20-10, in the paint in the first half, and put on an even stronger showing in the second with 24 points down low. It didn’t help that Maryland best front court player, Pharrel Payne, went down with a knee injury in the first half. As a result, Michigan quietly continued to grow its lead when the Terps’ threes stopped falling.

Between Mara, Will Tschetter, Johnson and Lendeborg, the options are limitless for the Wolverines in the post.

After gritting it out to stay undefeated, Michigan heads back home and will get a week off before facing La Salle on Sunday, Dec. 21 (4 p.m., BTN).

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Maryland HOA holiday lights dispute highlights what homeowners can and can’t do

Published

14 hours ago

December 13, 2025

Press Room

Maryland HOA holiday lights dispute highlights what homeowners can and can’t do

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (7News) — A Maryland family’s ongoing battle with their homeowners’ association over a Christmas light display has reignited a broader conversation about how much control HOAs can legally exercise over holiday decorations.

7News has been following the case, in which the family continues to face fines from their HOA over their holiday lights.

To better under how homeowner associations operate and what options residents may have, 7News spoke with Alfredo Vásquez, a Washington, D.C.-based homeowner defense attorney.

RELATED COVERAGE | HOA vs. Christmas decorations: Maryland family facing hundreds in fines for lights

Why HOAs often cite holiday decorations

According to Vásquez, disputes over holiday decorations are common, but they usually center on timing rather than style.

“It may vary by community or HOA,” Vásquez said. “The most common reason would be that residents put decorations up too early or take them down too late.”

He explained that most HOA governing documents regulate how long decorations can remain on display, outlining specific start and end dates of holiday decor.

Are there rules on lights, music, or colors?

While many homeowners wonder whether HOAs can ban flashing lights, colored bulbs, or loud holiday music, Vásquez said those restrictions are less common.

“I haven’t seen any restrictions that are specific in that way,” he said. “Most governing documents I’ve reviewed focus on whether lights or music interfere with a neighbor’s lot.”

In other words, enforcement is often tied to nuisance complaints rather than aesthetics.

What if homeowners feel targeted?

Vásquez emphasized that HOA boards are legally required to enforce rules consistently.

“The Board of Directors has a duty to implement regulations in an equitable manner across the entire community,” he said.

If homeowners believe they are being unfairly singled out, the first step is reviewing the HOA’s governing documents to confirm whether the association actually has authority to regulate the issue at hand.

MORE COVERAGE | HOA still not specifying ‘nuisance’ in Germantown, Md. family’s Christmas decorations

Can issues be resolved without going to court?

Yes, and in most cases, that’s the recommended path.

HOAs must follow state condo and HOA laws, which typically require formal processes for enforcement, including notices of violations and opportunities for hearings.

“It would be ideal for homeowners to act quickly and request a hearing with the board,” Vásquez said. “They should present their case and allow the board to decide whether the violation and fines can withstand scrutiny.”

Do homeowners have any recourse after signing HOA bylaws?

Once a homeowner buys into an HOA-regulated community, they are generally bound by its bylaws, Vásquez said.

“As long as those bylaws comply with federal and state laws, homeowners’ hands may be tied,” he explained.

However, bylaws can be changed, usually through a supermajority vote of the community. Homeowners may also have stronger grounds to challenge newly adopted amendments, as long as they act promptly.

Vásquez added that staying engaged in HOA meetings and decisions is critical.

“Homeowners have to pay attention to what’s going on in their community so they can challenge changes in a timely manner,” he said.

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Attempted traffic stop leads to arrest of Maryland man wanted for kidnapping

Published

1 day ago

December 13, 2025

Press Room

Attempted traffic stop leads to arrest of Maryland man wanted for kidnapping

Frederick County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) announced the arrest of a man wanted for kidnapping on Thursday afternoon.

Suba Washington Jr., 27, of Williamsport, Maryland, was apprehended in Frederick after an attempted traffic stop early Thursday morning, according to deputies.

The pursuit

When officers tried to pull over a Hyundai Elantra in the 7300 block of Crestwood Blvd., the driver, later identified as Washington, refused to stop.

Deputies were later notified that Washington was wanted on charges of kidnapping, first-degree assault, second-degree assault, and reckless endangerment in Washington County, Maryland.

As Washington fled northbound on Route 85, he struck a car near Crestwood Blvd. and Buckeystown Pike; however, the driver of the vehicle was unharmed as the suspect continued onto northbound I-270 and then westbound I-70.

Washington’s tires were eventually flattened after deputies deployed stop sticks near the Middletown exit.

Though the pursuit still wasn’t over, as the vehicle managed to cross over into Washington County, where the Washington County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) and Maryland State Police (MSP) aided in apprehension.

Washington was taken into custody after his vehicle approached the Route 40 exit, coming to a full stop on the highway.

The charges

A 17-year-old in the passenger seat was found with Washington during the pursuit. The teenager was released to WSCO.

According to FCSO, Washington Jr. was taken to the Frederick County Adult Detention Center and charged with numerous traffic citations, including reckless driving, negligent driving, and two counts of attempting to elude law enforcement.

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