Takeaways from the Hawkeyes’ win over Maryland

Obviously, it’s in Iowa’s best interest to not play a half where Kris Murray and Filip Rebraca combine for just four points on 2-of-6 shooting. It’s in the Hawkeyes’ best interest to make the 2023 NCAA Tournament and to dance into the second weekend if Iowa can make a habit of avoiding those types of halves from two of its biggest stars.

Here’s the deal: It’s basketball, it’s sports and those types of halves are just going to happen. Credit Maryland for taking those two away for 20 minutes. Credit Iowa for finding scoring from other places. See Perkins’ 15 first-half points, Payton Sandfort’s nine, Ahron Ulis’ seven, and Connor McCaffery’s five.

Teams that can stay afloat when two of its leading scorers take a couple ticks to get jumpstarted make the Big Dance and then win games when they get there. Great sign for the Hawkeyes.