Field Level Media
Jan 7, 2018
Freshman Bruno Fernando had a career-high 21 points as Maryland pulled away in the second half for a 91-73 win over Iowa Sunday night at Xfinity Center, handing the Hawkeyes their fifth straight Big Ten Conference loss.
Maryland's defense clamped down during a key second-half stretch, the Terrapins ran off a 19-2 spree that Fernando started with a reverse dunk. Anthony Cowan's driving layup put Maryland ahead 65-64 at 9:41, and Maryland (14-4, 3-2) wouldn't trail again.
Iowa (9-9, 0-5) led by 10 in the first half before continuing its worst start in Big Ten play since 2010-11. Isaiah Moss led the Hawkeyes with a career high 25 points. The junior guard scored seven points early in the second half to put Iowa in front as the lead changed hands six times with three ties in the first 11 minutes of the second half.
Cowan had 15 points and seven assists for Maryland, and Darryl Morsell added 14, while Kevin Huerter chipped in 12, and Dion Wiley had 10 off the bench before leaving the game with a head injury early in the second half. Fernando was 8-of-11 from the field as the Terps shot 56.7 percent (34-60).
Jordan Bohannon added 17 points, including five 3-pointers for Iowa, but 17 turnovers hurt the Hawkeyes, including six by Bohannon.
Maryland shot 57.1 percent (16-of-28) and took a 48-44 lead to the half in a wild first 20 minutes. The Hawkeyes had hit six of their first nine shots to open a 17-7 lead at the 14:29 mark when Moss hit a jumper. The Terrapins were down eight when Wiley hit a 3-pointer to start a 15-2 spree.
When Wiley, who hit his first four shots off the bench, canned a jumper at 10:11, the Terrapins were ahead 29-24. They had first gone in front at 11:10 on a dunk by Michal Cekovsky in transition to make it 25-24. Cekovsky hit all five of his shots from the field on his way to 13 points, all in the first half.
In the last minute of the half, Iowa coach Fran McCaffery picked up two quick technical fouls and was ejected following a play where Bohannon and Cowan got tangled. Cowan would hit three of four free throws as Maryland stretched its lead back to 48-42 with 44.9 seconds before the half.
The Hawkeyes completed a brutal stretch that had them play three games in six days, but this game was the first of three straight road games, continuing Thurs., Jan. 11 at Illinois. Maryland travels to Ohio State on Thursday as well.
--Field Level Media