COLLEGE PARK — Ava Heiden scored 20 points, and No. 10 Iowa women’s basketball recovered in overtime to beat No. 15 Maryland, 85-78, after the Hawkeyes blew a 17-point lead in the final three minutes of regulation Thursday night.
Iowa (17-2, 8-0) remained unbeaten in Big Ten play, but not without a scare. The Terps trailed 66-49 in the fourth quarter before coming all the way back and tying the game at 73 on Oluchi Okananwa’s 3-pointer with 9.3 seconds remaining.
BANG OLUCHI SENT IT TO OVERTIME#NCAAWBB x NBC / @TerpsWBB
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) January 23, 2026
Maryland (17-4, 5-4) briefly led in overtime, but its offense dried up late and the Hawkeyes pulled away again. Maryland lost its second straight after the Terps were beaten, 97-67, at UCLA last weekend.
Chazadi Wright scored 18 points for the Hawkeyes, who have won seven in a row. Isimenme Ozzy-Momodu had 18 points and 12 rebounds, Yarden Garzon moved her Big Ten-leading 3-point total to 59 during her 12-point night and Kyndal Walker posted a career-high 15 points for Maryland.
“Dug ourselves in too big of a hole when you talk about getting to the overtime, which I was proud of the resiliency,” Terps coach Brenda Frese said.
Iowa and No. 3 UCLA are undefeated in Big Ten play this season, although the Hawkeyes will be tested again when they face No. 12 Ohio State this weekend.
Hannah Stuelke added 12 points and 11 rebounds and Taylor McCabe (12 points) and Journey Houston (10) each scored in double figures to lead a balanced Hawkeyes squad.
“They’ve got a lot of depth, and I thought their depth wore us out tonight,” Frese said.
Iowa led 33-27 at the half and went on an 8-2 run to push their lead to nine at the end of the third quarter. Then Journey Houston scored three straight baskets in the fourth to make it 54-42.
It was a 17-point advantage before Maryland began its rally with a three-point play by Addi Mack, then a pair of free throws by Okananwa following a quick turnover by Iowa. Saylor Poffenbarger’s 3-pointer cut the lead to nine.
It was 71-64 when Mack made a layup with 30.2 seconds left. Then a steal and layup by Walker cut it to three. After Iowa turned the ball over yet again, Okananwa’s two free throws made it 71-70 with 22.6 seconds left.
Kylie Feuerbach’s two free throws pushed the lead back to three, but Okananwa’s 3-pointer tied it, and Wright’s jumper at the other end was blocked.
Okananwa grabbed a season-high 12 rebounds on a night in which she was honored pregame with a pair of basketballs commemorating her reaching 1,000 career points and 500 career rebounds earlier this season.
Up next
Iowa: At Ohio State on Sunday.
Maryland: Hosts Washington on Wednesday night.
