Maryland men’s basketball defeated Iowa, 77-70, on Feb. 11, snapping the Hawkeyes’ six-game winning streak.
The Terrapins (10-14, 3-10 Big Ten) avenged their 83-64 loss to Iowa on Dec. 6 and secured back-to-back victories for the first time since November, when they won four straight.
“We’re going to be focused on the next game coming up, just trying to get another win,” freshman guard Darius Adams said. “But I think these last two wins have been very big for us — just getting our confidence up and we’re all on the same page now.”
Redshirt freshman guard Andre Mills led Maryland with a career-high 24 points, including 14 in the first half.
“There’s no other feeling like it,” Mills said of the win against Iowa, ranked No. 25 in the coaches’ poll. “This is our first ranked win, so the feeling’s amazing. But in terms of my game and how I played, we do the same drills after practice every day. … It was just working — repetition, getting better each day, doing the little things. It came to life today.”
Mills was one of five Terrapins to reach double figures. Graduate guard Diggy Coit added 19 points, while Adams (11) and seniors Elijah Saunders (12) and Solomon Washington (10) chipped in as well.
“Dre’s energy is just infectious,” senior forward Colin Metcalf said. “As soon as he gets going, the rest of us see it, we start clicking — same thing with the rest of our guys.”
The first half was a back-and-forth affair, with neither team creating much separation. Iowa’s largest lead was three, while Maryland’s was six. A brief 5-0 Maryland run with less than minutes left in the half pushed the Terps ahead, 31-27, and they maintained control to take a 37-32 lead into the break.
The game stood in stark contrast to the teams’ first meeting on Dec. 6, when Iowa opened on a 17-2 run and shot 8-for-13 from three in the first half. This time, Maryland consistently contested shots on the perimeter. Iowa went 4-for-12 from deep in the first half and finished the game just 7-for-28.
The game remained tight in the second half, with the teams trading baskets until Iowa briefly went ahead, 51-50, with about 10 minutes left. Maryland responded with an 8-0 run to take a 62-56 lead at the 6:31 mark and held off the Hawkeyes from there.
Iowa senior guard Bennett Stirtz kept the Hawkeyes in it, scoring 32 points, with most of his damage coming after halftime.
Stirtz missed two crucial free throws with 15 seconds left while trailing by five, but he quickly scored to cut the deficit to 73-70 with 13 seconds remaining. Maryland closed the game at the line to seal the win.
Maryland travels to New Jersey next to face Rutgers, a team currently on a seven-game losing streak, on Feb. 15 at noon. The Terrapins are looking to win their third straight Big Ten game after beginning league play 1-10.
“Get your teeth kicked in a lot, and you have to take what comes with that,” Maryland head coach Buzz Williams said. “But then you still have to have the endurance to show up and figure out how to fight through things that are tough. And I think that happens in life. It happens in [basketball]. It’s been happening at Maryland men’s basketball for the last six and a half months. But I do appreciate their willingness to keep trying. We’ll have to do better in our results, but in the work, I think some of that was shown Sunday [at Minnesota], and some of that was shown tonight.”
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Maryland Athletics