Iowa women’s basketball just proved it can win ugly—and that matters for the Big Ten title race

Iowa women’s basketball didn’t leave College Park with a pretty box score story; it left with something more useful in January: a road win that tightens the team’s grip on the Big Ten’s top tier and strengthens its profile for March. The Hawkeyes outlasted a ranked Maryland team 85–78 in overtime on Thursday, January 22, moving to 17–2 overall and 8–0 in conference play. When the game gets chaotic—turnovers, momentum swings, a crowd sensing a steal—this is the kind of result that keeps a contender from looking back.

A win that changes the pressure—on Iowa’s rivals, not Iowa

Here’s the part that matters: undefeated conference records are rare not because teams can’t score, but because they can’t survive nights like this one. Iowa trailed the flow for stretches, watched Maryland erupt for 34 points in the fourth quarter, and still had enough poise to win the five-minute bonus period 12–5.

That pushes the burden onto the chase pack. Maryland didn’t just lose a home game; it missed a chance to hand Iowa its first Big Ten loss and compress the standings. Instead, Iowa’s cleanest takeaway is simple: the Hawkeyes can get dragged into a possession-by-possession fight and still come out with the result.

What’s easy to overlook, but keeps showing up in top teams: the ability to manufacture points when the “normal” offense breaks down. Iowa’s overtime wasn’t flashy—it was functional, physical, and steady.

Key numbers that tell the story

• Overtime margin: Iowa +7 (12–5) after regulation ended tied 73–73.

• Free throws: Iowa 17-of-22, a crucial stabilizer when both teams hit 17 turnovers.

• Three-point accuracy: Iowa 8-of-18 from deep, including four threes from Taylor McCabe.

• Glass battle: Maryland won rebounds 45–40, but Iowa’s Hannah Stuelke pulled down 11 with five offensive boards.

• Largest lead: Iowa led by as many as 17, then had to re-win the game late.

How Iowa escaped in overtime at Maryland

The night belonged to Iowa’s frontcourt efficiency and late-game nerve. Ava Heiden delivered 20 points on 9-of-13 shooting, giving Iowa a reliable interior scorer when Maryland’s pressure ratcheted up. Stuelke paired her 12 points with those 11 rebounds—work that matters most when possessions get scarce.

On the perimeter, Chazadi Wright functioned like Iowa’s temperature control: 18 points, five assists, and 43 minutes on the floor. She got to the line (7-of-8) and kept Iowa organized enough to withstand the fourth-quarter surge.

Maryland had its own anchor in Isimenme Ozzy-Momodu, who finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds, repeatedly creating second chances and forcing Iowa to defend deeper into possessions. But once the game tipped into overtime, Iowa’s execution tightened while Maryland’s offense stalled—misses piled up, and Iowa converted enough trips to build separation.

There’s a reason overtime results tend to mirror a team’s identity. Iowa didn’t suddenly become a defensive clamp-down unit; it simply made the handful of plays that decide these games—secure the rebound, get a clean look, hit free throws, avoid the back-breaking turnover.

The next stretch is where this kind of win starts paying interest

Iowa doesn’t get to celebrate long. The schedule turns into a measuring-stick run that will either harden the résumé or expose thin spots.

Upcoming on the calendar:

• Sunday, January 25: vs. Ohio State in Iowa City, 1:00 p.m. Central (2:00 p.m. Eastern / 7:00 p.m. UK time)

• Thursday, January 29: at USC, 8:00 p.m. Central

• Sunday, February 1: at UCLA, 3:00 p.m. Central

The real question now is whether Iowa can keep winning different styles back-to-back—because that’s what elite teams do in conference play. If the Hawkeyes pair Thursday’s gritty overtime escape with a crisp performance next time out, the conversation shifts from “nice story” to “real favorite.” If they don’t, games like Maryland become less a statement and more a warning sign about how narrow the margin can get.