Iowa head coach Jan Jensen isn’t fooled by Maryland’s blip on the radar. The Terrapins began the season winning 16 of their first 17 games before dropping two of their last three contests, most recently a 30-point drubbing on the road against No. 3 UCLA.
For Jensen, this lopsided result only creates a more difficult task as No. 15 Iowa travels to College Park for a matchup against No. 15 Maryland on Thursday. The ranked-on-ranked contest is Iowa’s sixth so far this season, with the Hawkeyes holding a 3-2 record, last falling to No. 1 UConn in December, a game that came to mind as Jensen offered her scouting report Tuesday morning.
“This is a whole different test than anything we’ve seen since Connecticut,” she said.
Similar to UConn and Michigan State, who Iowa played on Jan. 18, Maryland (17-3, 5-3) employs an aggressive defense that spans the length of the court. Jensen said the Terrapins will press on basically any situation, whether it’s made or missed shots, free throws, or dead balls. The pressure tightens when the opposition nears the halfcourt line, as Maryland will look to trap.
Additionally, Maryland’s defense often varies between zones, which includes a 1-2-2 and a 2-3, and man-to-man. Maryland ranks 54th and 55th in Division I in turnover margin and turnovers forced per game, respectively.
Maryland relied on its depth for much of this year, as three players – first-year Lea Bartelme, sophomore Ava McKennie, and senior Kaylene Smikle (who still ranks second on the team in points per game) all suffered season-ending injuries in the Terrapins’ first 10 games. Offensively, Maryland relies on junior Oluchi Okananwa. The guard transferred from Duke and leads the squad with 17.3 points per game. First-year guard Addi Mack has also stepped up, averaging 10.9 points and 2.6 assists per game.
“This is a team that likes to score fast, and those two lead it,” Jensen said, noting that the guard duo as well as senior Saylor Poffenbarger are all players who thrive in 1-on-1 situations.
“They’re a nice team that can create,” Jensen added.
Iowa and Maryland square off at 5 p.m. Central Time on NBC.
Hawkeye Hardware
Iowa players earned recognition for their performances last week as Iowa went 2-0 against Oregon and Michigan State. Addie Deal earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week. She averaged 13 points per game on 76 percent shooting over the two contests, including a career-high 18 points against the Ducks. She didn’t miss a three-pointer on the week, either.
“Everybody’s got opinions, everybody wants her to do well, and she’s handled the pressure,” Jensen said of Deal, a five-star recruit from California.
Senior forward Hannah Stuelke joined Deal by winning Big Ten Player of the Week as well as National Player of the Week from the Associated Press. Stuelke averaged 20 points, 8.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 2.5 steals over the Hawkeyes’ last two games.