Women's Basketball Breakdown: Iowa vs. Maryland
Breaking down Thursday's women's basketball game between Iowa and Maryland.
Game facts
Time and place — 5 p.m. (CST), Xfinity Center, College Park, Md.
TV — BTN (Lisa Byington, play-by-play; Christy Winters Scott, analyst)
Radio — Hawkeye Radio Network
Records — Iowa 20-4 (11-2), Maryland 20-4 (11-2)
Rankings — Maryland is No. 10 and Iowa is No. 17 in the Associated Press poll and USA Today coaches poll.
Series — Maryland leads, 6-4.
The lineups
Iowa — Monika Czinano (C, 6-3, Soph., 15.3 ppg.), Amanda Ollinger (F, 6-1, Sr., 7.3 ppg.), Kathleen Doyle (G, 5-9, Sr., 18.7 ppg.), Makenzie Meyer (G, 5-9, Sr., 14.8 ppg.), Alexis Sevillian (G, 5-9, Jr., 7 ppg.)
Maryland — Stephanie Jones (F, 6-2, Sr., 10.1 ppg.), Kaila Charles (F, 6-1, Sr., 14.9 ppg.), Shakira Austin (F, 6-5, Soph., 11.5 ppg.), Taylor Mikesell (G, 5-11, Soph., 10.8 ppg.), Blair Watson (G, 6-0, Sr., 9 ppg.)
What to watch
The Hawkeyes have won three consecutive games against the Terrapins, and don't think it isn't something Maryland isn't thinking about.
Maryland crushed the Hawkeyes on the boards earlier this season, getting 38 offensive rebounds and 21 defensive rebounds. Yet the Hawkeyes still prevailed in the 66-61 win.
Iowa coach Lisa Bluder knows her team will have to be better in one of the most difficult road environments in the Big Ten. Bluder said on Wednesday the Hawkeyes would have to play a "near-perfect game," and she's right.
The Hawkeyes have a mental edge with this current winning streak over a program that has won four of the last five Big Ten titles. Iowa has been good on the road in Big Ten play this season and that, too, may make a difference.
If Iowa wins tonight, the Hawkeyes will be control of the conference race, with three of their final four games at home.
