COLLEGE PARK, MD — Maryland knocked off No. 25 Iowa on Wednesday night 77-70 behind a career-high 24 points from
Andre Mills. The Terps grabbed their first ranked win of the season — over the No. 21 NET squad — and moved to 10-14 (3-10 Big Ten) with their second straight Big Ten win. Maryland benefited from five double-digit scorers in a wire-to-wire game that featured 10 lead changes at XFINITY Center.
Mills continued his hot streak, scoring a career-high 24 points against Iowa. He's scored 10+ points in five of his last six games and was the first player on either team to reach double figures on Wednesday night and his 14 first-half points helped Maryland take a 37-32 lead into the half. The Terps improved to 7-1 this season when leading at the half.
Maryland knocked down eight three-pointers on Wednesday night, moving its season total to 202, which is already good for the 16th-highest single-season mark in program history. David Coit had two of them in his 19-point night, moving his season total to 62, which puts him tied for 20th in the Maryland single-season record book. Elijah Saunders hit a pair of three-pointers in his 12-point night.
Five Terps scored in double figures on Wednesday as Saunders tallied 12, Darius Adams had 11, and Solomon Washington dropped 10. Both had eight rebounds as the Terps outgained Iowa 34-25 on the boards in the win. Collin Metcalf had a big night defensively, posting a season-high eight rebounds and a season-high three blocks.
The Terps went on an 8-0 run in the second half to gain separation from the ranked Hawkeyes (18-6, 8-5 Big Ten). Big second-half performances from Coit (12 points) and Mills (10 points) helped clinch Maryland's second straight win. Maryland is back in action on the road against Rutgers on Feb. 15.
How It Happened:
1st Half:
- Mills nailed a three to get the scoring started.
- Adams got on the board with a three as Maryland opened a 6-2 lead.
- Iowa took its first lead on a 7-0 run.
- A Mills layup tied the game at 11-11 six minutes in.
- Saunders nailed a three for his first points of the night.
- Mills became the first player to double figures midway through the half.
- A step-back three from Coit put the Terps ahead, 24-22, with five to play.
- The Terps took a 37-32 lead at the half.
2nd Half:
- A physical layup from Adams got the scoring started.
- Adams reached double figures as the Terps took a 41-36 lead.
- Mills nailed his third three-pointer to put Maryland ahead 50-48.
- Mills set a new career high as he tied the game at 52-52.
- Coit built a 60-56 lead with his second three-pointer of the night with seven to play.
- Coit knocked down a pair of free throws to go ahead 67-62 with three minutes to play.
- Saunders extended the lead with a three.
- Maryland held on for the 77-70 win.
Double-Digit Days:
- Mills (24 points) scored in double figures for the 13th time this season while tallying his first-career 20+ point game.
- Coit (19 points) has scored 10+ points 15 times this season and 71 times in his career.
- Saunders (12 points) scored in double figures for the 10th time this season and the 29th time in his career.
- Adams (11 points) recorded his 16th-career double-digit game in his freshman season.
- Washington (10 points) has scored in double figures nine times this season and 26 times in his career.
Hawkeye Hunting:
- Wednesday's game was the 20th all-time meeting between Iowa and Maryland, with the Terps winning 10 of the previous games.
- Maryland improved to 6-3 all-time at home against the Hawkeyes.
- The Terps earned their biggest win in series history, 101-75, over Iowa last season.
Mills Makes His Mark:
- Mills added a career-high 24-point night to his freshman season, which is rapidly picking up speed.
- He's averaging 16.3 points over his last four games and has scored in double figures in five of his last six games.
Diggy's Dominance:
- Coit tallied his ninth game this season with 15+ points.
- He leads the Terps in both points and three-pointers this season.
Buzz Williams' Breakdown:
- "You have to have the endurance to show up when things are tough, and I appreciate our guys' willingness to keep trying. I think some of that was shown tonight."
- "We needed to shoot as many balls as they did, shoot as many free throws, and play with a low turnover rate."
- "Both Adams and Mills are playing off two feet better than they ever have. They're both doing a much better job helping us get predictable shots."
- "We're doing a good job putting pressure on the rim."
- "From a rebounding standpoint, nights like this allow us to control more possessions."
- "I'm thankful for the consistency of the effort of our guys. They've never turned a blind eye to our staff and what we're trying to accomplish."
Miraculous Mills
- "I've enjoyed seeing Adams' growth and seeing Diggy score nearly 40 every game. I'm just enjoying seeing everyone's growth, honestly."
- "As the game went on, we realized we were giving them too many layups, so we went on the offensive more."
- "I just keep shooting."
- "You see more energy in practice and more care and more fight. We're focusing more on the little things and doing them right."
Adams' Awesomeness:
- "Mills is tough, man. When he's going downhill, he's hard to stop. I'm very happy for him. I love him and he's awesome to have as a teammate."
- "Seeing Mills in attack mode makes me want to be in attack mode. He's so good."
- "Momentum is a big thing, but we're going to be focused on the next games coming up."
- "We just kept fighting, playing, digging in, getting stops, and getting good shots on offense. We need more of that. It's working well for us."
Metcalf's Big Night:
- "Tonight was about limiting them to one shot and making sure we get the defensive rebounds."
- "If we don't win the rebounding battle, we lose. Buzz is always emphasizing rebounds because when we do that, we win."
- "I love watching my guys eat. Andre's energy is infectious. As soon as he gets going, we all start clicking."
Numbers To Know:
- 1: Maryland grabbed its first ranked win of the season.
- 4: The Terps marked their fourth game this season with five players with 10+ points.
- 7: Maryland moved to 7-1 this season when leading at halftime.
- 11: The Terps won their 11th all-time win over the Hawkeyes.
- 34: Maryland grabbed 34 rebounds to Iowa's 25.
- 40: The Terps scored 40 points in the second half.
- 53: Maryland shot 53% (25-47) from the floor in the win.
- 62: Coit's 62 three-pointers this season are already tied for the 20th-most by any Terp in a single season.
- 202: Maryland's 202 three-pointers this season are already the team's 16th-highest tally in program history.
Up Next:
- Maryland heads on the road to face Rutgers on Feb. 15. Tipoff is set for 12 PM and the game will air on FS1 and the Maryland Sports Radio Network.
