Maryland women’s basketball fell one spot to No. 9 in the Associated Press poll released Monday.
The Terps went 2-1 in the Big Ten tournament, but a 90-76 loss in the championship game to then-No. 10 Iowa doomed the squad to its second title defeat in as many years, lowering their record to 28-4 on the season.
Maryland kicked off its conference tournament run by trouncing Michigan State, 71-55, to avenge the team’s season-worst 17-point road defeat to the Spartans in January. Guard Kaila Charles scored 16 points after halftime, and the Terps held the underdogs to just 12.5 percent shooting in the third quarter to pull away.
[Read more: Iowa’s Megan Gustafson wrecks Maryland women’s basketball in Big Ten title game loss, 90-76]
On Saturday, Maryland followed up its routine victory with a nailbiter against Michigan. Both teams traded leads in the final minutes, but a pair of crucial makes by Charles from the charity stripe with 10.3 seconds remaining, and one final stop on the defensive end, secured a 73-72 win.
But Maryland’s momentum was stopped by All-American forward Megan Gustafson, who led the Hawkeyes to their first conference title since 2001. The Terps had no answer for Gustafson, who notched a season-high 45 points to carry Iowa. Charles racked up a career-high 36 points, but foul trouble ultimately restricted her supporting cast’s ability to contribute.
For the fourth consecutive week, Iowa was the only other Big Ten squad ranked in the AP poll. The Hawkeyes supplanted the No. 8 spot from Maryland.
It’s the first time any conference foe has been slotted higher than the Terps this season.
