Iowa blows a 17-point lead, then outlasts Maryland in overtime, 85-78

Note: This report was written in Iowa.

They blew it. They absolutely blew it.

But the Iowa Hawkeyes regrouped, recovered and found a way.

Chit-Chat Wright scored eight points (and dished out an assist) in overtime, and 10th-ranked Iowa outlasted No. 15 Maryland 85-78 in a Big Ten women’s basketball thriller Thursday night at XFINITY Center, College Park, Md.

Iowa (17-2 overall, 8-0 Big Ten) coughed up a 17-point lead in the final 3 minutes of regulation, but Wright engineered an 8-0 overtime surge to spring the Hawkeyes free at last.

“It was a terrific final 5 minutes,” assistant coach Randi Henderson said postgame on the Iowa Radio Network.

“(Head coach) Jan (Jensen) said (at the end of regulation), ‘Take a deep breath. We’ve got to be calm in this five minutes.’ And Chat was incredible in that five minutes.”

Wright’s two free throws gave the Hawkeyes a 77-76 lead with 3:38 remaining in extra time. Then the sophomore guard located Ava Heiden for a basket to put Iowa up three.

Heiden made two free throws to make it 81-76 with 0:45 left, then Wright made four foul shots to close it out.

“I just like to stay calm,” Wright said. “I’m not going to let anybody rush me.”

As a result, the Hawkeyes escaped what would have been a messy defeat, to say the least.

Iowa appeared to be safe late in regulation. Taylor McCabe hit a 3-pointer to give the Hawkeyes a 64-47 cushion with 3:59 left, then Heiden’s basket made it 66-49 at the 3:15 mark.

Maryland (17-4, 5-4) had one miracle comeback earlier this season, rallying from a nine-point deficit in the second overtime to steal a win at Minnesota. The Terrapins almost came from far further back Thursday.

They scored 34 points in the fourth quarter, 24 in the final 2:54.

Iowa still led 71-64 with a half-minute to go. But a drive by Addi Mack, a steal and layup by Kyndal Walker and a pair of free throws by Oluchi Okananwa -- all in 8 seconds -- cut it to 71-70.

Kylie Feuerbach made two free throws for Iowa with 21 seconds left to make it 73-70, but Okananwa nailed a 3-pointer to force extra time.

“I’ve got to dissect it,” Jensen said. “In my mind, we got timid. The moment we stopped switching (defensively), it went haywire.”

Heiden led all scorers with 20 points. Wright added 18.

Hannah Stuelke and Taylor McCabe scored 12 apiece, and Journey Houston provided 10 huge points in 13 minutes.

Stuelke grabbed 11 rebounds. McCabe with 4 for 8 from long distance.

Isimenme Ozzy-Momodu led Maryland with 18 points and 12 rebounds.

Iowa scored nine straight points for a 16-10 lead late in the first quarter and didn’t trail again until early in overtime.

The Hawkeyes return home to face No. 12 Ohio State at 1 p.m. Sunday.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com