No. 8 Maryland women’s basketball vs. No. 7 Iowa preview (game two)

Following an emotional 66-61 street victory in opposition to Michigan State, No. 8 Maryland ladies’s basketball (22-5, 13-3) is again house for considered one of its greatest video games of the season — and one of the vital anticipated bouts on the nationwide scene — as it’s set to tackle No. 7 Iowa (22-5, 14-2) for the second time this season Tuesday.

With No. 2 Indiana clinching the Massive Ten regular-season title after simply defeating Purdue Sunday, 83-60, the Hawkeyes and Terps discover themselves in a livid race for the No. 2 seed within the Massive Ten Event. And naturally, the immense nationwide implications that may stem from Tuesday’s top-10 showdown are to not be neglected.

Tipoff is ready for 8 p.m. on Massive Ten Community.

What occurred final time

The importance of Tuesday’s recreation is eerily just like these groups’ final matchup. It stays a top-10 matchup between two squads trying to take possession of second place within the convention.

In entrance of a raucous Carver-Hawkeye Area on Feb. 2, Iowa shocked Maryland early. Behind an offensive explosion within the first half, it soared previous the Terps, 96-82.

Junior guard Caitlin Clark and graduate ahead Monika Czinano — arguably the nation’s finest one-two punch — dismantled the Terps, going for a mixed 70 factors.

Clark, who’s second within the nation in scoring, went nuclear. She went for 42 factors, eight assists and 7 rebounds. For good measure, she additionally completed 6-for-11 from three-point vary.

Postgame, Maryland head coach Brenda Frese was filled with reward for the All-American.

“[Clark’s] a pleasure to look at play except you’re scouting her and going in opposition to her,” Frese mentioned.

The Hawkeyes put up 56 factors within the first half, by far probably the most Maryland had allowed in a half all season. Down 18 on the half, the Terps did what they may to claw again into the sport, however Iowa’s firepower proved an excessive amount of in the long run.

Sophomore guard Shyanne Sellers had an open look halfway by way of the third quarter to chop the deficit to only 10, nevertheless it rimmed out, permitting Clark to attain three factors of her personal on the opposite finish. Sellers completed with a career-high 26 factors within the loss.

Maryland couldn’t discover sufficient vitality after that sequence, and regardless of a valiant effort — it really outscored Iowa by 4 within the second half — the 18-point first-half deficit proved insurmountable in the long run.

What’s occurred since

Since falling in Iowa Metropolis, the Terps are an ideal 4-0. Simply three days after the defeat, they dismantled then-No. 10 Ohio State, 90-54. The 36-point margin of victory was the most important over a top-10 group in program historical past. Comfy wins behind sturdy second halves in opposition to Northwestern and Illinois adopted, earlier than taking down Michigan State this previous Saturday.

Whereas a lot is deservingly mentioned about Iowa’s stars, Maryland has one too, and Diamond Miller has been unstoppable within the Terps’ four-game win streak, scoring no less than 29 factors thrice.

The Hawkeyes even have three wins because the Feb. 2 matchup, with a mean margin of victory of 29.6 factors through the stretch (Penn State, Rutgers, Wisconsin, Nebraska). They did undergo one loss, although, and it finally price them a shot on the regular-season convention crown.

A hyped-up primetime showdown on Feb. 9 noticed Iowa journey to Bloomington, Indiana, to tackle the Hoosiers in a battle of the highest two groups within the convention. The groups had been tied on the half, however Indiana was simply barely higher down the stretch, pulling out an 87-78 victory.

Maryland and Iowa have been two of the highest groups within the nation all 12 months lengthy, and it appears solely becoming that the penultimate recreation of the common season pits them in opposition to one another with large postseason implications.

Three issues to look at

1. Can Maryland flip the script on its house court docket? Near 11,000 sturdy created a palpable buzz at Carver-Hawkeye Area a bit over two weeks in the past, serving to the Hawkeyes to a decisive victory. In three top-10 matchups this season at XFINITY Heart, Maryland has averaged near 11,000 followers per recreation. It’ll want all of the assist it may well get Tuesday to tug out its sixth ranked victory of the season.

2. What’s the sport plan for Clark and Czinano? Maryland had zero reply for Iowa’s two stars final day trip. Offered Clark has been in a position to torch practically each protection she’s seen this season, permitting a 42 level near-triple-double is one thing that can’t repeat itself if the Terps need any likelihood of successful Tuesday. And for Czinano, she took benefit of the Terps’ lack of inside dimension and dominated within the paint.

Stopping the 2 of them is a tall process, however Frese might want to reduce their affect on the sport.

3. A brutal two video games to finish the season. Simply three days after taking over Iowa, Maryland is again on the street to tackle No. 13 Ohio State. Whereas the sport is not going to have an effect on Maryland’s convention event seed — it’s already locked in on the two or three spot — it stands as one other potential resume-changing recreation. After dropping by 36 in Faculty Park, the Buckeyes might be out for revenge in Columbus.