In the lone meeting between the Maryland women’s basketball team and Iowa last season, the Terps ran away from the visiting Hawkeyes, 80-64, by accomplishing the game plan nearly every Iowa opponent tries — and usually fails — to execute.
Maryland limited forward Megan Gustafson.
Gustafson averaged an NCAA-leading 25.7 points a contest in 2017-18, and she was even better in conference play, upping her average to 27.8 per game. But in the Terps’ triumph, they held the then-junior to 15 points on just eight shots, and they never looked back after racing to a 14-point first quarter lead.
This time around, not much has changed. Gustafson leads the country again, scoring at a 27.3 clip, and No. 7 Maryland knows it must keep the senior’s touches in check if it’s to come out on top in this iteration.
With a win over Gustafson and the No. 14 Hawkeyes (20-5, 11-3 Big Ten) in a battle between the conference’s top-2 squads, the Terps (23-2, 12-2) would be two games clear in the race for a Big Ten championship.
“Every team has tried to limit her and she’s so efficient and so talented,” coach Brenda Frese said. “She’s an All-American for a reason; she’s going to score the basketball, but just making all their players have to work for tough baskets.”
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Since coming to Iowa from Port Wing, Wisconsin, Gustafson has proven she is more than just a volume scorer.
In addition to leading the NCAA in points per game last year, the reigning Big Ten media player of the year and All-American selection converted at a higher field goal percentage (67.1) and made more baskets (320) than any other player in the country. Gustafson also averaged 12.8 boards a game, good for fifth in the country.
And Gustafson somehow found a way to improve those already absurd efficiency numbers in the 2018-19 campaign. She’s upped her field goal percentage to 70.9 percent, has 285 makes — 59 clear of second place — and is fourth in the country with 13.0 rebounds a game. She’s notched a double-double in 23 of the Hawkeyes’ 25 games.
Up against such a daunting offensive force, the Terps are well aware of the challenges of muffling the National Player of the Year candidate.
“Just limit her touches and lock down on her tendencies,” forward Brianna Fraser said. “Making it hard for her in every aspect of the game. Attacking her as well and just playing team basketball.”
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One tendency Maryland has noted is Gustafson’s propensity to sprint to the right block, spin to her left and lay it in before the opposing defense can set up, often reaching to the rim without the ball ever connecting with the court.
If the Terps have any aspirations of restraining the talented post player, they must make her uncomfortable in her looks at the rim.
“Making sure everyone is aware of where she is,” guard Kaila Charles said. “We know she loves that right block to get to her left shoulder, so we just gotta cut that off and then have good ball pressure so they can’t get the ball to her in the first place.”
But it isn’t as straightforward as simply cutting off the entry pass. Gustafson is adept at positioning herself on her defender’s back, and when overzealous defenders jump the passing lane too early, Iowa’s guards flick it over the top for an easy lay-in.
Still, if the Terps are going to go into Carver Hawkeye Arena — where the Hawkeyes are a perfect 13-0 this season — and escape with their their ninth Big Ten victory in as many tries, Maryland’s best chance is forcing Gustafson’s teammates to beat them.
“She’s going to get her points, but we need to be able to limit her touches and play team defense,” Charles said. “Hopefully we can stop her enough so that we can win.”
