Gabbie Marshall, Caitlin Clark lead Iowa past Maryland in Big Ten semifinals

A fairly satisfying thing — at least if you're an Iowa fan — happened on the seventh-ranked Hawkeyes' way to the Big Ten women's basketball championship game.

Revenge.

Best-served Saturday in front of thousands of screaming Iowa fans at Target Center in an 89-84 victory over fifth-ranked Maryland in the semifinals.

The victory did two things:

• Put second-seeded Iowa (25-6) into Sunday's final against No. 4 seed Ohio State, with a chance to defend its 2022 crown.

• Perhaps offered some balm for the 27-point licking Iowa took at Maryland nearly two weeks ago.

Using impressive balance on a night when star guard Caitlin Clark was very, very good but not phenomenal, Iowa led the game for all but 27 seconds, but never seemed to be in total control until the final buzzer sounded.

So yes, it felt good.

"We took it personally," said Gabbie Marshall, who put her personal touch on this victory with some crazy three-point shooting. "This was a revenge game for us."

One that went down to the wire.

Indeed: Down eight with 2:53 left, the third-seeded Terrapins mounted an 11-3 run to tie the score at 79-79 on Faith Masonius' basket with 2:19 left.

On the ensuing possession, with the shot clock winding down, Clark put up a three. It missed. But McKenna Warnock grabbed the rebound. She got the ball to Marshall, who buried her seventh three of the evening with 1:44 left.

"Pivotal moment," Clark said. "A huge play, one that's sticking in my brain. I want McKenna to get credit for that O-board. It was a game-changer for us."

After Maryland's Diamond Miller missed at the other end, Clark found Monika Czinano for a layup for a five-point lead with 59 seconds left. Then Warnock hit four straight free throws down the stretch to hold off the Terps (25-6).

Clark led the Hawkeyes with 22 points and had nine assists. But — unlike that game at Maryland a few days ago — Iowa got enormous contributions from the other starters against a team looking to limit Clark and Czinano with a box-and-one defense. All five Iowa starters were in double figures.

Clark scored just one fourth-quarter point. But she had four assists. Warnock scored nine of her 21 points, in the fourth. Marshall scored six of her 21, Czinano seven of her 15.

As Maryland coach Brenda Frese said, this game had the feel of an NCAA Elite Eight matchup. Miller and Abby Meyers both had 21 for Maryland. Both teams took care of the ball and moved it; Iowa had 24 assists on 31 makes, Maryland 21 on 28 makes.

But for Iowa this was redemption on so many levels. Marshall started the season struggling from three. Over her last nine games, she's pushing 60%. Saturday she hit seven of 13.

The Hawkeyes? According to Clark, the team could have gone one of two ways after that Maryland loss. They went the right way, beating Indiana in the regular-season finale.

Iowa coach Lisa Bluder took the blame for the loss at Maryland, saying she didn't have the team ready. They were this time.

"I hope it gives them confidence," she said. "I didn't have them ready, I wasn't going to let it happen again. So you learn, right?"

And now Iowa is in the conference championship game for the third year in a row.

"It's all I know," Clark said, smiling.