AP FILE PHOTO - Iowa forward Cooper Koch reacts after making a 3-point basket during a college basketball game against Maryland on Dec. 6, 2025, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City.

CHICAGO — The Iowa men’s basketball used a decisive second-half surge Wednesday to open postseason play with a victory, defeating Maryland 75-64 in the first round of the Big Ten Conference tournament at the United Center.

No. 9-seeded Iowa (21-11) broke open a tight game with a 21-0 run in the second half and advanced to face No. 8 seed Ohio State in Thursday’s second round.

Cooper Koch scored a career-high 19 points to lead Iowa, knocking down five 3-pointers and helping ignite the Hawkeyes’ second-half offense. Bennett Stirtz added 17 points and eight assists, while Tavion Banks finished with 12 points and three steals.

Iowa shot 50.9% from the field and hit 9 of 23 from 3-point range. The Hawkeyes also recorded 19 assists on 27 field goals.

“Once we settled in, we executed our scout, which was really good,” Iowa coach Ben McCollum said. “I thought our kids after the first 10, 12 minutes kind of settled in. The concentration was pretty low to start. Then we regrouped, settled in, and executed.”

The Hawkeyes trailed early and faced a deficit as large as 11 points in the first half. Maryland controlled much of the opening period behind efficient interior play and defense that disrupted Iowa’s offense.

The Terrapins led 26-25 at halftime after holding the Hawkeyes to 41% shooting and forcing several early turnovers. Maryland’s pressure and zone looks slowed Iowa’s offensive rhythm during the opening stretch.

“I thought we were playing with fear in the first half and we were trying to win in the second,” Stirtz said. “We were making good reads. The defense was collapsing when me and Kael went in there, and our bigs were making good pocket reads, and then Coop was knocking down 3s.”

The game shifted dramatically midway through the second half.

With the score tight early in the period, Iowa strung together a 21-0 run that turned a narrow contest into a double-digit lead. During the stretch, the Hawkeyes assisted on nine consecutive field goals and capitalized on Maryland turnovers to create transition opportunities.

“We passed the ball,” McCollum said. “That was nice. We got stuck earlier and were trying to score on the first action. In the second half we did a better job executing.”

Koch played a central role in the burst, finding space on the perimeter as Iowa’s ball movement improved.

“The teammates just found me in open spots today, and I knocked them down,” Koch said. “I just kept doing the same stuff in the gym — keep working on my shot and keep instilling confidence in myself.”

Koch’s five 3-pointers accounted for more than half of Iowa’s made shots from beyond the arc and helped stretch Maryland’s defense as the Hawkeyes took control.

While Iowa’s offense surged, its defense tightened. The Hawkeyes forced 16 Maryland turnovers and converted many of them into scoring chances.

Maryland shot 43.1% overall and 33.3% from 3-point range.

Darius Adams led the Terrapins with 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting, while David Coit and Isaiah Watts each scored 12. Solomon Washington grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds.

The Terrapins entered the game after having defeated Oregon in the first round of the tournament a day earlier.

Maryland built an 11-point lead in the first half and held the halftime advantage before Iowa’s surge flipped the game. The loss marked only the second time this season the Terrapins fell when leading at halftime.

Iowa also received contributions across its lineup. Cam Manyawu scored 10 points and grabbed four rebounds, while Kael Combs added five points and three assists. Isaia Howard provided a spark off the bench with seven points and three assists.

Iowa outscored Maryland 50-38 in the second half, shooting 62% after halftime and making 7 of 13 attempts from beyond the arc.

For McCollum, the key takeaway was the response his team showed after a shaky start.

“I was really proud of them that once they dialed in and fought through some of the frustrations, they kept going,” McCollum said.

Iowa 75, Maryland 64

MARYLAND (12-21) — Saunders 1-5 2-2 5, Washington 1-4 2-6 4, Metcalf 3-3 0-0 6, Coit 5-8 2-3 12, Mills 1-13 6-8 9, Adams 6-7 1-2 14, Watts 4-6 0-0 12, Del Pino 0-4 0-0 0, Turkson 1-1 0-0 2. TOTALS 22-51 13-21 64.

IOWA (21-11) — C.Koch 6-10 2-2 19, Manyawu 4-5 2-8 10, Combs 2-5 1-2 5, Stirtz 6-18 3-3 17, Banks 5-8 1-1 12, Folgueiras 1-3 2-2 4, Howard 3-3 0-0 7, Sage 0-1 1-2 1. TOTALS 27-53 12-20 75.

Halftime–Maryland 26-25. 3-Point Goals–Maryland 7-21 (Watts 4-6, Adams 1-2, Saunders 1-3, Mills 1-5, Coit 0-1, Del Pino 0-4), Iowa 9-23 (C.Koch 5-8, Stirtz 2-9, Banks 1-1, Howard 1-1, Folgueiras 0-1, Sage 0-1, Combs 0-2). Fouled Out–Banks. Rebounds–Maryland 30 (Washington 13), Iowa 23 (Stirtz 6). Assists–Maryland 8 (Coit, Adams 2), Iowa 19 (Stirtz 8). Total Fouls–Maryland 18, Iowa 13.