Regardless of a collection of second half runs from Maryland males’s basketball, Iowa dominated its rivalry in opposition to the Terps all night as Maryland fell to the Hawkeyes, 81-67, Sunday in Iowa Metropolis, Iowa.
Maryland’s offense regarded higher than it had in different Huge Ten video games on the highway this season, however its protection struggled to include Iowa’s prolific offense. Maryland moved to 2-4 in convention, with all 4 losses occurring on the highway. He returns residence for the rematch in opposition to Michigan on Thursday.
Jahmir Younger adopted up his season’s 30-point efficiency in opposition to Ohio State with a 20-point displaying in opposition to Iowa. Donta Scott additionally scored 15 factors.
“I assumed we took a step in the suitable course, consider it or not. I assumed we had a combat on the highway,” mentioned Maryland coach Kevin Willard.
Julian Reese bought the scoring for the Terps with two early baskets to present Maryland an early lead – one thing it has struggled to realize in convention highway video games this season. However after Maryland took a 4-0 lead, Iowa exploded, 8-0.
Reese, who was the one Maryland participant to attain a degree throughout the first seven minutes of the sport, has been in fixed bother in opposition to Huge Ten groups this season. Reese totaled 12 errors within the final three video games earlier than Sunday and averaged extra errors per sport than every other Huge Ten participant.
When Reese will get into stink bother, Willard normally chooses to go together with his massive man, Patrick Emilian. Towards Iowa, Emilian was out with an harm, and was seen carrying his strolling sneakers earlier than the sport.
“He’s maybe essentially the most worthwhile man we now have,” Willard mentioned of Emilian. “He helps not solely Julián, however Donta as nicely. … It hurts our rotation.”
Willard mentioned Emilian injured his ankle once more, which has been bothering him this season, in coaching on Friday and is more likely to be out for an prolonged time period.
Reese’s foul troubles continued for Iowa Metropolis, because the second base tackler dedicated two fouls earlier than the center of the primary half. Willard was pressured to depart a small lineup on the ground with Reese taking bouts on the bench. Nonetheless, when Iowa started to tug away and Maryland bumped into a chronic drought, the Terps had no alternative however to deliver Reese again regardless of his horrible bother.
The Baltimore native was dominant offensively when on the bottom, scoring eight of Maryland’s first 14 factors. He completed with 10 factors and 6 rebounds.
Maryland ranks No. 26 within the nation in twin participation, in keeping with the KenPom.comwhich suggests that he’s extra keen to play together with his gamers for 2 faults than most groups.
Iowa led 19-10 at halftime earlier than the Terps took a 6-0 result in minimize the result in three. A low-scoring affair on either side confirmed little outdoors capturing early on. The 2 groups mixed for 14 makes an attempt from distance and 4 makes an attempt.
Maryland’s offensive sport plan—just like the one it executed so flawlessly in opposition to Ohio State per week earlier—was clear. The Terps gave up a three-ball and tried to attain on the within with a drool drive hack and different touchdowns for his or her seniors in opposition to a comparatively small Iowa group.
He labored for many of the first half as Maryland dueled with the Hawkeyes on the highway. That was till Iowa caught hearth in Three. After Maryland trailed by simply three minutes with simply over seven minutes left, the Hawkeyes outscored the Terps 18-5 over the subsequent 4 minutes.
Maryland’s first three factors—on solely six makes an attempt—got here from Younger with 1:28 to go within the half. Iowa was within the driver’s seat for almost all of the primary half, however Maryland made a late push within the half to get right into a breakdown at 10.
Maryland took management of the wheel to open the second half, mustering eight straight factors to path by simply two, due to back-to-back three-pointers from seniors Scott and Hakeem Hart. The Terps drilled extra three-pointers within the first minute of the second half than they did in all the 20 minutes of the primary interval.
However within the operating sport, Iowa went it alone, beating Maryland 12-3 over the subsequent six minutes to take again management of the sport.
“Our defensive energy on the highway is basically lacking,” Willard mentioned. “Even after we’re operating, we’re not feeding on our operating.”
Reese dedicated his fourth foul with eight minutes left, sending him to the bench as Maryland trailed by seven minutes.
He bought again into the sport with three and a half minutes left within the sport as Iowa held a 10-point lead. Whether or not Reese was on or off the sector did not matter a lot within the second half, as Iowa took benefit of Maryland’s protection no matter personnel, leading to a 14-point victory.
Three issues to know
1. THE MARRYLAND SEAT DOESN’T EXIST, ESPECIALLY WITHOUT EMILIAN. Preseason considerations about not benching Maryland have been evident previously few video games. Patrick Emilian is among the solely vibrant spots coming off the bench for Maryland, however there was no backup to select up his load on Sunday. Whereas Ian Martinez’s steps from final season to this season are clear, he hasn’t been an element previously few video games. Willard tried varied buttons, together with enjoying Pavlo Dziuba within the early minutes and giving Caelum Swanton-Rodger some runs. Ten gamers took the ground for Maryland, however the bench journeys mixed for 11 factors.
2. The Maryland District protection was ineffective. Maryland sometimes performs man-to-man protection extra within the half courtroom than within the space. However in opposition to Iowa, she performed a number of zone protection, typically going for zone appearances within the sport. Maryland struggled to include the Iowa shooters when it went into its territory, permitting Iowa guard Tony Perkins to attain 22 factors. Chris Murray scored 19 factors, 17 of them within the second half. Maryland might need gone to some territory to fight their lack of dimension, nevertheless it resulted in a dominant offensive efficiency from the Hawkeyes.
3. Droughts in Maryland are very frequent. Maryland’s offense is a 17-game in-progress season as Willard reinvents his offensive type based mostly on personnel. One factor that has been fixed this season are the prolonged dry spells. Scoring is much more troublesome once you’re combating lengthy vary capturing and Maryland is second to final within the Huge Ten by 3 factors. Maryland suffered a number of three-plus minute droughts in opposition to Iowa, which led to the Hawkeyes extending their lead by a number of runs.