Maryland Spoils Iona Debut In NCAA Tournament With 74-58 Win
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) -- Shatori Walker-Kimbrough scored 19 points, and second-seeded Maryland ruined Iona's debut in the NCAA Tournament with a sloppy 74-58 victory Saturday.
Seeking to ultimately make a third straight appearance in the Final Four, the Terrapins got off to a rocky start on their own court. Maryland (31-3) let a 19-point lead dwindle to 60-53 early in the fourth quarter before finally pulling away from the 15th-seeded Gaels (23-12).
The Terrapins committed 19 turnovers, 11 before halftime. But the two-time Big Ten champions finished with a 42-27 rebounding advantage and outscored Iona 15-6 at the foul line to extend its winning streak to 10.
Maryland will next play at home Monday night against the winner of Saturday's game between Penn and Washington.
Iona earned a berth in the tournament by winning the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference crown. Facing a team rich in NCAA Tournament experience, the Gaels put up an impressive fight before succumbing.
Philecia Gilmore made seven 3-pointers and finished with 21 points. Her last long-range jumper, early in the fourth quarter, got Iona within seven points.
But Brene Moseley made two straight baskets for the Terrapins, sparking a 10-3 spurt that proved too much for the Gaels to overcome. Iona missed its final 10 shots.
Moseley scored 15 points off the bench and Brionna Jones had 11 points and 11 rebounds. Walker-Kimbrough went 10 for 10 at the foul line and contributed six rebounds.
Maryland led 42-27 at halftime despite committing 11 turnovers and failing to make a basket over the final 3:57 of the second quarter.
The Terrapins did, however, shoot 64 percent and outrebounded Iona 20-11.
Maryland made its first six shots and got five points from Walker-Kimbrough in a 14-2 run that made it 16-8. It was 26-16 after a first quarter in which the Terps went 11 for 14 from the floor.
After going up by 15 at halftime, Maryland used a basket by Jones and two foul shots by Walker-Kimbrough to make it 46-27 early in the third quarter.
TIP-INS:
Iona: Adams, a senior forward, went 3 for 12 and scored six points, only the second time in her final 15 games she failed to reach double figures. She leaves the program as the MAAC career leading in rebounds. ... Gaels guard Marina Lizarazu had six turnovers compared to six assists.
Maryland: The Terrapins have won at least one NCAA Tournament game in each of the last six years. ... Maryland is 30-10 in the tournament under coach Brenda Frese.
UP NEXT
Iona: Season over.
Maryland faces the winner of the Penn-Washington game on Monday.
(Copyright 2016 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
