Maryville Drains 15 Threes in Exhibition Loss at No. 10 Iowa
The Maryville women’s basketball team traveled to Iowa City for an exhibition matchup against No. 10 Iowa, ultimately falling 124-67, maryvillesaints.com reported. Despite the steep final margin, the Saints found considerable success from beyond the arc, converting 15 three-pointers over the course of the contest.
Adylan Ayer led the Saints in scoring for Maryville with 13 points, while Melia Lemorande contributed 11 points off the bench. On the other end of the floor, the Hawkeyes fired at a blistering 63.8 percent clip from the field.
The opening quarter featured early aggression from the visitors. Ayer sparked the offense immediately by draining a three-pointer from the top of the key. After Iowa answered, Claire Lueken sank another perimeter shot to push Maryville ahead 6-5. Following a forced turnover, Lueken connected from deep once more to extend the early advantage to 9-5. Lemorande added a fourth three-pointer of the opening period to make it 12-10 before the Hawkeyes mounted a 10-0 run, eventually taking a 25-13 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Maryville Narrows Deficit Before Iowa Pulls Away
Maryville continued to find pockets of offense in the second quarter. Ayer added her third triple to cut the deficit to 28-16, later driving for a runner in the lane and following up with a defensive steal that converted into a fast-break layup. Braci Nyberg and Lindsey Schadewalt also connected from long range, bringing the Saints within striking distance at 50-32 before Iowa expanded the margin to 54-32 by halftime.
The Hawkeyes utilized a high-powered offensive attack to pull further away in the second half, pushing their advantage to as many as 40 points during the third quarter. New Iowa guard Dani Carnegie led all scorers with 30 points to pace the Hawkeye offense, dailyiowan.com reported.
Even with the lopsided score, Iowa head coach Jan Jensen utilized timeouts to maintain defensive discipline on the floor. After the Hawkeyes surrendered several consecutive three-pointers in the second half, Jensen gathered her team to address the defensive lapses. “Why are we giving up back-to-back threes?” Jensen asked her players during the stoppage, an exchange noted by dailyiowan.com. Following that tactical reset, Iowa allowed just seven points for the remainder of the game.
Ayer Leads Saints Scoring in Lopsided Matchup
Maryville’s box score reflected a balanced distribution of secondary production alongside its perimeter volume.
| Statistic | Maryville Saints | No. 10 Iowa Hawkeyes |
|---|---|---|
| Total Points | 67 | 124 |
| Field Goal Percentage | Not Reported | 63.8% |
| 3-Pointers Made | 15 | Not Reported |
| Top Scorer | Adylan Ayer (13 pts) | Dani Carnegie (30 pts) |
Beyond Ayer and Lemorande’s scoring outputs, Lueken and Nyberg each pulled down a team-high five rebounds for the Saints, while five different Maryville players recorded two assists apiece. Gracie Gopalan tallied two steals on defense.
For Iowa, guard Journey Houston contributed eight points and 10 rebounds. The Hawkeyes return to Carver-Hawkeye Arena to host the Towson Tigers for their official regular-season opener on Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. CST, dailyiowan.com reported.
The Saints now turn their attention toward the official launch of their 2026-27 campaign. Maryville will host Eureka College at Moloney Arena on Tuesday, Nov. 10, with tip-off scheduled for 6 p.m., according to maryvillesaints.com.
