Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball couldn't climb out of a first-half hole that reached as many as 25 points Sunday vs. Maryland.

The No. 23 Iowa women’s basketball team fought hard but was ultimately outmatched on Sunday night, falling 74-66 to an undefeated No. 8 Maryland squad.  The Terrapins built a 25-point lead at one point,

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Bottom line: Iowa earns a top-four Big Ten finish at 14-4, reaches the Big Ten tournament semifinals, lands a 4-seed for the NCAA tournament, holds serve at Carver to reach the Sweet 16 and narrowly misses a major regional-semifinal upset in Birmingham (or maybe Spokane).

Iowa grabbed a double-digit lead late in the first quarter and maintained it throughout, aside from two Purdue pushes. The Hawkeyes' cushion dipped from 15 to five during a four-minute stretch early in the second quarter, then slid from 21 to eight midway through the third. Both times, Iowa countered back with a momentum-sucking surge.

No. 8 Maryland women’s basketball walked into a sold out Carver-Hawkeye Arena and made a statement against No. 23 Iowa. It led by 25 points less than a minute before halftime. But the Terps had to survive a fighting comeback effort after a big first-half lead in order to take a 74-66 win over the Hawkeyes,

The No. 22 Hawkeyes are back home for their toughest challenge to date, as Iowa women's basketball hosts No. 7 Maryland Sunday. Here's how to watch.