By Susan Harman

Not sure but we think Iowa coach Lisa Bluder asked her team for a very specific Groundhog’s Day present: a plus-16 rebound margin against Maryland at the Xfinity Center in College Park, Md.  Her players not only delivered but provided 17 offensive rebounds to sweeten the pot.

Those rebounds were the difference in Iowa’s 93-85 victory Saturday night before a full-throated capacity crowd of 17,950.

“That is thrilling because we have been flipped so many times these days,” Associate head coach Jan Jensen told the Hawkeye Radio Network. “I mean, that’s the story really. To see us get back on the rebound train again, obviously it was a difference in this game.”

Bluder’s Iowa teams had never won on Maryland’s home court.

“It was really exciting for women’s basketball,” Iowa junior Sydney Affolter told the Hawkeye Radio Network. “But the fact that we bring out the best in opposing crowds is really something special. It’s just fun to come on here and play. You can’t hear much, so that was a little tough for us.”

Caitlin Clark finished with 38 points, 12 assists and six rebounds. Molly Davis had 17 points, including three 3-pointers, four rebounds and three assists. Kate Martin had 15 points, 10 boards and four assists. Addie O’Grady and Hannah Stuelke combined for 15 points and 15 rebounds in the post.

“Molly Davis was outstanding, and we really needed her to step up offensively and she did tonight,” Bluder said.

It was a crazy game in a lot of ways. Long scoring runs by each team reversed fortunes in a hurry. Maryland began the game leading 11-3, but Iowa led 27-19 at the end of the first quarter.

Iowa led by 18 early in the third quarter when the Terps scored in 11 consecutive possessions to take the lead. Iowa responded with a 12-3 run to close the quarter with a seven-point lead. The Terps tied the game at 76 with a fast start to the fourth quarter.

“There were some ill-advised shots; there were some ill-advised passes,” Jensen said. “Those are a lot easier to correct than some other issues that could have been the cause of that.”

“We won three of the four periods, and we withstood their charge,” Bluder told Hawkeye Radio. “We didn’t lose our composure, and that’s what I’m really pleased about. We handled their comeback on the road, and that’s not easy to do.”

Although shaky at times, Iowa held its poise and fought hard to take and keep the lead down the stretch. As Maryland put pressure on in the final minutes Iowa’s players at time looked tentative, not wanting to take an open shot and deferring to teammates.

Affolter was a key in the final five minutes of the game. With the game tied at 76, Clark’s 3-pointer got the Hawkeyes the lead. Maryland missed a three. Clark fed Affolter, who was wide open under the basket for a layup and a five-point lead. Shyanne Sellers’ jumper cut the lead to 81-78 before Affolter took and hit a three to bump the lead to six. Taking it was as key as making it after watching teammates turn down shots.

“Caitlin is so special, and she does so many things, but there’s got to be moments where someone else steps up,” Jensen said. “Syd was big down the stretch, the three, the boards, all of that.”

Lavender Briggs made a long two-pointer. Affolter’s offensive rebound enabled Clark to feed Martin for two to bump the lead to six again. On the next possession an Affolter offensive rebound saved the possession for Stuelke to shovel a pass to Davis for a three and an 89-80 lead with 40 seconds left.

“I just know we need those extra possessions especially in a close game down the stretch,” Affolter said. “I was just going after it, and I thought I was going to get the ball and no one else.”

Clark said some of the ups and downs recalled Iowa’s overtime loss at Ohio State.

“We were up quite a bit and we kind of fumbled the lead (at Ohio State), so to come here and kind of do the same but be able to respond and withstand their punches is huge for us,” Clark told Fox TV. “I’m just proud of our group.

“I think when they went to their zone defense we were a little flustered for a second, but we were able to execute, get the ball in the middle and make some big shots down the stretch. Sydney Affolter makes a huge three for us in the corner late in the game and then just get some O-boards that basically took up a minute and a half of the game at the end.”

Bluder also noted that Stuelke and Affolter’s offensive rebounds at the end of the game ate up precious seconds and prevented Maryland from one last run of its own.

“Their offensive rebounds were spectacular,” Bluder said.

The 17 offensive rebounds were second best this season to the 19 against Cleveland StateIowa improved to 21-2 overall and 10-1 in Big Ten play. Iowa, Indiana and Ohio State each have one loss apiece in league play. IU and OSU play each other Sunday.

Iowa’s next game is home against Penn State (16-6, 7-4) on Thursday. Maryland is 12-10, 4-7.