Field Level Media
Jan 7, 2021
Luka Garza scored a game-high 24 points Thursday night as No. 5 Iowa recovered from a slow start with an 89-67 Big Ten Conference win at Maryland.
Jordan Bohannon added 18 points, going 6 of 9 from 3-point range, while Keegan Murray came off the bench to chip in 12 and Patrick McCaffery added 10 points for the Hawkeyes, who took control with a 35-7 run to end the first half.
The Hawkeyes (10-2, 4-1 Big Ten) connected on 53.7 percent of their field goals, including an impressive 13 of 26 from 3-point range, and collected 22 assists against just 11 turnovers.
Aaron Wiggins scored 17 points for the Terrapins (6-6, 1-5), while Donta Scott added 13. But Maryland continued its trend of offensive struggles, making 43.3 percent of their shots from the field.
With an average of just 65.6 points in conference games, Maryland looked like it was ready to match baskets with the nation's fifth-highest scoring team. The Terrapins stuck 3-pointers on their first two possessions and established a 19-9 advantage on a Wiggins layup just over eight minutes into the game.
That was it for the Maryland highlight package. Beginning with a 3-pointer by Connor McCaffery with 12:30 remaining in the first half, Iowa steamrolled the Terrapins with crisp halfcourt execution and solid zone defense. Maryland struggled on defense against the 6-foot-11 Garza and couldn't cope with Iowa's long-range shooters.
The Hawkeyes rattled off 20 consecutive points in more than eight minutes of the opening half, with Patrick McCaffery capping the run on a short jumper with 4:23 left to make it 29-19.
The lead kept increasing from there, with Keegan Murray finishing the half by driving down the lane for a layup as time expired for a 44-26 lead.
Wiggins offered some resistance for Maryland with a personal 8-2 run to start the second half, but Iowa answered with a 12-2 spurt. Garza carved out post position and converted one of Connor McCaffery's 10 assists into a layup with 14:24 left for a 58-36 advantage.
The margin grew as high as 26 points at 78-52 with 6:39 remaining on a Patrick McCaffery 3-pointer.
--Field Level Media