Preview: No. 8 Maryland women’s basketball gets set for top ten matchup against No. 6 Iowa

The calendar has turned to February, which means primetime conference games — with great chances to improve one’s resume — before the NCAA Tournament begins in a month. The Big Ten is a powerhouse conference — with four schools inside the top ten — including No. 8 Maryland women’s basketball (18-4, 9-2 Big Ten) .

The Terps gear up for a high-stakes matchup Thursday night against No. 6 Iowa (17-4, 9-1 Big Ten), looking to improve their resume and climb further in the Big Ten standings.

Both of these teams are attempting to keep pace in the race to the top of the Big Ten, as the teams rank second and third, trailing only No. 4 Indiana. For Maryland, a victory in this game would mean it could obtain sole possession of second in the conference, trailing only the Hoosiers with six games remaining.

Meanwhile, Iowa hopes to tie for the conference lead before a road trip that includes a trip to Bloomington to take on the leaders of the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes still have two games remaining against the conference leading Hoosiers, so a slip-up versus Maryland could prove costly.

Maryland enters the matchup playing its best basketball of the season, winning 11 of its last 12 games. Recently, the Terps dispatched of Penn State in College Park, defeating the Nittany Lions 87-66.

Senior guard Abby Meyers is emerging from her slump, as she led Maryland in scoring versus Penn State, tallying a season-high 24 points. Over her past five games, Meyers is averaging 12.2 points, slightly below her 13.8 points per game average.

Along with Meyers, sophomore guard Shayanne Sellers and senior guard Diamond Miller excelled in the win. The trio of Meyers, Sellers and Miller has paved the way for the Terps all season — being the top three scorers — and they combined for 53 points against the Nittany Lions.

As a team, Maryland shot 53% from the field, along with getting to the free-throw line 16 times. The Terps shot 15/16 from the line, an excellent 94% mark from the charity stripe. On the season, Maryland shoots 78% from the free throw line, top 20 in the country.

While the Terps cruised in their win, the same cannot be said for Iowa. The Hawkeyes escaped at home against Nebraska, winning by just four, 80-76. They got their ninth victory in Big Ten play, their sixth in a row.

Iowa runs through 2021 Big Ten Player of the Year and First Team All-American, Caitlin Clark. The junior guard is averaging a tick over 27 points per game on the season. Clark leads the Big Ten in scoring, assists (7.9 per game) and three-point field goals made (3.1 per game). 

“We want to make her have to work but they also have a wealth of great talent surrounded around her,” coach Brenda Frese said.

Alongside Clark, Iowa has another preseason All Big Ten First Team member, senior forward Monika Czinano. Czinano averages 18.1 points alongside 6.5 rebounds per game, and has reached double figures 18 times this season.

“It is going to be tough when you’re going against the C&C law firm [Clark and Czinano] with their inside and outside combination,” Frese said.

In part due to Clark, Iowa’s offense leads the Big Ten at 87.3 points per game, along with three-point field goals made (8.6 per game) and assists (20.24 per game). Additionally, the Hawkeyes do not turn the ball over often, as they rank second in the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.46).

“The biggest challenge is getting [Clark] out of her rhythm,” Meyers said. “She is more of an offensive player than a defensive player so she’s saving her energy so she can do something big every possession on offense.”

On the other side of the ball is where Iowa’s weakness lies. The Hawkeyes rank 10th in the conference in defensive scoring, allowing 71 points per game In their lone conference loss to Illinois, Illini shot 52% from the field and 41% from deep.

The home court advantage for the Hawkeyes is profound, as Carver-Hawkeye Arena ranks first in the Big Ten in attendance. Still, Maryland has had success against Iowa in the past, even on the road. The Terps won by 12 in their battle a season ago in Iowa City.

Tip-off is set at 8:30 p.m.