CHICAGO (Interstat) — A dominant second-half surge, powered by a near triple-double from Bennett Stirtz, propelled the Iowa Hawkeyes past the Maryland Terrapins 75 to 64 in a Big Ten Conference men’s basketball game Wednesday afternoon at the United Center.

The game, a rematch of a Feb. 11 contest won by Maryland, turned decisively after halftime. Iowa, which trailed 26 to 25 at the break, erupted for 50 points in the second half, overwhelming a Maryland team that struggled to maintain its early defensive intensity and protect the basketball.

The most important part of the game was Iowa’s transformative second-half performance, a stark contrast to a sluggish and mistake-prone opening period. The Hawkeyes flipped the script entirely after intermission, solving Maryland’s defensive pressure and capitalizing on a cascade of Terrapin turnovers to fuel a game-breaking run.

The first half was a grind, characterized by poor shooting and frequent miscues from both sides. Maryland built its narrow lead primarily at the free-throw line and through sporadic outside shooting from Isaiah Watts and Darius Adams. Iowa’s offense was stagnant, managing only 25 points and showing little rhythm. The Hawkeyes committed 10 first-half turnovers, a figure that would normally spell disaster.

Everything changed after the break. Iowa emerged with renewed purpose, attacking the basket and finding open shooters with precision. The catalyst was Stirtz, the 6-foot-4 guard from Liberty, Missouri. After a quiet first half, he orchestrated the Hawkeye offense with masterful control, scoring, facilitating and helping ignite the transition game. He finished with 17 points, eight assists and six rebounds in 38 minutes, directly engineering the turnaround.

Iowa’s offensive efficiency skyrocketed. The Hawkeyes shot 64.3% from the field in the second half, a remarkable improvement from their 34.6% first-half showing. They also tightened their own ball security, committing just five turnovers after halftime while forcing Maryland into 10.

The Terrapins’ offense, meanwhile, never found consistent traction. While they improved their scoring to 38 points in the second half, they were constantly playing catch-up against an Iowa team that had found its groove. Maryland’s 16 total turnovers proved especially costly, as Iowa converted them into 21 points, a 12-point advantage in that critical category.

Cooper Koch was the primary beneficiary of Stirtz’s playmaking, scoring 19 points, including five three-pointers, many coming during the decisive second-half push. Cam Manyawu provided a strong interior presence with 10 points and four rebounds, and Tavion Banks added 12 points. The Hawkeyes’ balanced attack, with 36 points in the paint and nine made three-pointers, was too much for Maryland to contain once it found its flow.

For Maryland, Darius Adams led the way with 14 points off the bench, and David Coit and Isaiah Watts each added 12. Solomon Washington was a force on the glass, pulling down 13 rebounds, but the Terrapins’ offensive struggles were systemic. They shot just 43.1% from the field for the game and a damaging 61.9% from the free-throw line, missing key opportunities to stem Iowa’s momentum.

The victory improved Iowa’s overall record to 21-11 and provided a positive note as the conference tournament approaches. The Hawkeyes demonstrated the high-ceiling offensive capability that has defined their season when they are taking care of the ball.

Maryland, which had won its previous game at Oregon, fell to 11-21. The Terrapins showed first-half resilience but could not withstand Iowa’s offensive onslaught in the final 20 minutes, a recurring theme in a difficult season.

The game unfolded largely as statistical projections anticipated, with Iowa entering as a substantial favorite. The combined score of 139 points fell under the pregame over/under line of 136, a testament to the defensive struggle of the first half before Iowa’s offensive explosion tipped the scales.