Maryville Women's Basketball Falls to No. 10 Iowa in Exhibition

Hawkeyes Overwhelm Saints 124-67 as Maryville Drains 15 Threes in Iowa City Exhibition

The Maryville women’s basketball team traveled to face No. 10 Iowa in an exhibition game on Thursday evening, dropping a 124-67 contest at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Despite the lopsided final score against a ranked opponent, the Saints flashed notable perimeter shooting by draining 15 three-pointers over four quarters.

Adylan Ayer anchored the Maryville offense with a team-high 13 points, while Melia Lemorande chipped in 11 points off the bench. On the other side, Iowa’s high-powered attack was paced by new guard Dani Carnegie, who led all scorers with 30 points to secure the win for the Hawkeyes.

Early Perimeter Sparks and Iowa’s Counter-Punch

The Saints seized the momentum straight out of the gate. Adylan Ayer opened the scoring with a triple from the top of the key. After Iowa answered, Iowa native Claire Lueken splashed another three-pointer to push Maryville ahead 6-5. Following a defensive forced turnover, Lueken connected again from deep to extend the early advantage to 9-5.

Iowa eventually reclaimed the lead, but Melia Lemorande sank Maryville’s fourth triple of the opening frame to briefly put the visitors ahead 12-10. The Hawkeyes responded with a 10-0 run before Hadley Crosier added a free throw. By the end of the first quarter, Iowa established a 25-13 cushion.

The offensive pace picked up further in the second stanza. Ayer hit her third deep ball to pull the Saints within 28-16, and later added a runner in the lane followed by a steal and a layup. Olivia Hahn converted two free throws to narrow the gap to 45-23. Additional perimeter strikes from Braci Nyberg, Ayer, and Lindsey Schadewalt brought Maryville’s first-half three-point total to eight, sending the Saints into halftime trailing 54-32.

Defensive Adjustments and Final Statistics

Iowa exerted control in the second half, stretching its advantage to as many as 40 points during the third quarter and steadily pulling away. Even with the large margin, Iowa head coach Jan Jensen maintained defensive intensity. Jensen called a timeout after her team allowed consecutive three-pointers, challenging the group’s focus by asking, Why are we giving up back-to-back threes? The Hawkeyes tightened up thereafter, surrendering only seven points for the remainder of the game.

Team	Final Score	Field Goal Percentage	Made 3-Pointers
No. 10 Iowa	124	63.8%	Not reported
Maryville Saints	67	Not reported	15

Statistical leaders for Maryville included Ayer with 13 points and Lemorande with 11. On the glass, Claire Lueken and Braci Nyberg pulled down five rebounds each, while five different Saints handed out two assists apiece. Gracie Gopalan recorded two steals on the night.

Opening the Regular Season at Moloney Arena

With the exhibition test behind them, the Saints turn their attention to the official start of the 2026-27 campaign. Maryville will host Eureka College on Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 6 p.m. inside Moloney Arena. Meanwhile, Iowa prepares to host the Towson Tigers for its regular-season opener on Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. CST back at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.