CHICAGO — For a while on Wednesday afternoon, it looked like the 17th-seeded Maryland Terrapins might pull off a classic March upset. But a historic scoring burst and a career-high performance from Cooper Koch ensured the Iowa Hawkeyes would live to see another day in the Windy City.
Behind a staggering 21-0 second-half run, Iowa (21-11) pulled away for a 75-64 victory at the United Center, marking the program’s most wins in a single season since 2021-22.
The “Koch” is Cooking
After trailing 26-25 at the break and falling behind by four early in the second half, the Hawkeyes flipped a switch. The catalyst was Cooper Koch, who continues to be the hottest hand in the Big Ten.
Koch sparked a 5 1/2-minute blitz with back-to-back triples to give Iowa its first lead since the opening minutes. By the time the dust settled on the team’s longest run of the season (21-0), Iowa held a 17-point lead and total control of the game.
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Cooper Koch: Career-high 19 points (5-of-8 from 3PT).
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Trend Watch: Koch has set or tied a career-high in three of his last four games, knocking down 17 three-pointers in that span.
Stirtz on Triple-Double Watch
While Koch provided the fireworks, Bennett Stirtz provided the engine. Stirtz finished with 17 points, a team-high 6 rebounds, and 8 assists, narrowly missing out on a historic triple-double. His vision helped Iowa record 19 assists as a team—their highest mark since mid-January.
| Key Performers | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
| Cooper Koch | 19 | 3 | 1 |
| Bennett Stirtz | 17 | 6 | 8 |
| Tavion Banks | 12 | 4 | 0 |
| Cam Manyawu | 10 | 5 | 1 |
By The Numbers
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31: Consecutive conference tournament wins for head coach Ben McCollum, a streak dating back to 2016 across his coaching career.
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61.5%: Iowa’s blistering field goal percentage in the second half (16-of-26).
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21: Points scored by Iowa off of 16 Maryland turnovers.
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4-0: Iowa’s perfect record on neutral courts this season.
Overcoming the Boards
Despite being outrebounded 34-25 by a physical Maryland squad, the Hawkeyes made up the difference with elite efficiency and interior defense, outscoring the Terps 36-24 in the paint.
Up Next: A Date with the Buckeyes
The road gets tougher from here. The Hawkeyes return to the United Center floor tomorrow morning for a third-round showdown against eighth-seeded Ohio State.
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Matchup: (9) Iowa vs. (8) Ohio State
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Time: 11:00 AM (CT)
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TV: Big Ten Network (BTN)
