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There was a slow start and some anxious moments, but the Iowa Hawkeyes found a groove to pull away from the Maryland Terrapins in the second half of their Big Ten Tournament opener to pick up a much-needed 75-64 win for their own confidence and the NCAA Tournament outlook.
The Hawkeyes have earned themselves a date with the Ohio State Buckeyes in the third round, a rematch of just a few weeks ago when Iowa picked up a marquee, resume-enhancing win, which is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT on Thursday, March 12, and will air on the Big Ten Network. As the Hawkeyes look to rest up and turn the page, check out the takeaways from today's win.
There was reason to get nervous in this game early. Iowa started slow. It wasn't pretty. Iowa saw a 21-10 deficit roughly halfway through the first half. The Hawkeyes could not buy a shot, and Maryland came out of the gates red-hot from the three-point line. Fortunately, Iowa refused to press.
The Hawkeyes stuck with it and hung in there to cut the halftime deficit to just one point, 26-25, and gave them quite a bit of confidence and momentum that they were going to be fine sticking with the game plan. That said, this worked today. Doing this against Ohio State, a team much better than Maryland, could see the Hawkeyes out of it before the game even starts.
My, oh my, what a start to the second half. The Hawkeyes put together a 20-0 run to slam the door shut on Maryland's upset hopes and essentially end the Terrapins' season. This was a clinic out of the locker room to start the second half, and it is a reason to give this team kudos.
Some teams may have panicked, finding themselves in a postseason fight with a team they are better than and let that linger down the stretch, but Iowa deserves credit for resetting at the half and showing their true talent after the break.
Sure, Iowa has a long road to go to get there, but jumping up to the No. 7 seed line in the NCAA Tournament is in the picture suddenly. After floating in the No. 8 vs. No. 9 game for most of the last month, a win over Ohio State tomorrow opens the door for Iowa to creep up the seeding.
Should they knock off Ohio State, the Hawkeyes would draw the top-seeded Michigan Wolverines, who they just took to the brink at the end of the regular season. Iowa can compete with the Wolverines, and if they were to hang with a consensus No. 1 seed two games in a row, plus get some help around the country from some other teams falling, could the committee smile on the Hawkeyes' ceiling and slide them up the seeding?
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions. Follow Riley on X: @rileydonald7
This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire : Takeaways as Iowa basketball handles Maryland in Big Ten Tournament
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The Hawkeyes have earned themselves a date with the Ohio State Buckeyes in the third round, a rematch of just a few weeks ago when Iowa picked up a marquee, resume-enhancing win, which is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT on Thursday, March 12, and will air on the Big Ten Network. As the Hawkeyes look to rest up and turn the page, check out the takeaways from today's win.
Iowa didn't panic amid a slow start
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There was reason to get nervous in this game early. Iowa started slow. It wasn't pretty. Iowa saw a 21-10 deficit roughly halfway through the first half. The Hawkeyes could not buy a shot, and Maryland came out of the gates red-hot from the three-point line. Fortunately, Iowa refused to press.
The Hawkeyes stuck with it and hung in there to cut the halftime deficit to just one point, 26-25, and gave them quite a bit of confidence and momentum that they were going to be fine sticking with the game plan. That said, this worked today. Doing this against Ohio State, a team much better than Maryland, could see the Hawkeyes out of it before the game even starts.
The halftime adjustments were clear
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My, oh my, what a start to the second half. The Hawkeyes put together a 20-0 run to slam the door shut on Maryland's upset hopes and essentially end the Terrapins' season. This was a clinic out of the locker room to start the second half, and it is a reason to give this team kudos.
Some teams may have panicked, finding themselves in a postseason fight with a team they are better than and let that linger down the stretch, but Iowa deserves credit for resetting at the half and showing their true talent after the break.
A No. 7 seed isn't out of the picture
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Sure, Iowa has a long road to go to get there, but jumping up to the No. 7 seed line in the NCAA Tournament is in the picture suddenly. After floating in the No. 8 vs. No. 9 game for most of the last month, a win over Ohio State tomorrow opens the door for Iowa to creep up the seeding.
Should they knock off Ohio State, the Hawkeyes would draw the top-seeded Michigan Wolverines, who they just took to the brink at the end of the regular season. Iowa can compete with the Wolverines, and if they were to hang with a consensus No. 1 seed two games in a row, plus get some help around the country from some other teams falling, could the committee smile on the Hawkeyes' ceiling and slide them up the seeding?
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions. Follow Riley on X: @rileydonald7
This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire : Takeaways as Iowa basketball handles Maryland in Big Ten Tournament
Continue reading...
