COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- The final box score showed exactly how close the showdown was between No. 3 Iowa and No. 8 Maryland.

Each team had four starters in double figures, with two players scoring 11 points apiece for both squads. Both teams had 10 offensive rebounds. Iowa had one more field goal than Maryland while the Terrains had one more three-pointer and three more rebound than the Hawkeyes.

But it was at the free throw line where host Maryland had a clear edge and the Terrapins hit just enough shots from the line down the stretch to beat Iowa 74-68 on Thursday in a Big Ten Conference contest before a packed and loud house in a nationally televised game.

"I just think our team was balanced," said Maryland guard Rasheed Sulaimon, who had 17 points.

The Terrapins, struggling on their offensive sets, were 16 of 23 from the foul line while Iowa was nine of 15. Both teams shots less than 25 percent from 3-point range, with Iowa making 5 of 24 from long range. Maryland got to the line only once in the first half.

"I thought we had the floor spread a little bit better" in the second half, coach Mark Turgeon said. "That was the difference. If you get to the line, that is the difference.

"It was a great crowd, great energy. I thought we showed some toughness in the second half. We were not great on offense. We beat a really, really good team. They have a chance to do special things. It was not easy for us."

Forward Robert Carter, Jr. also had 17 points and forward Jake Layman and guard Melo Trimble each had 11 points for Maryland. Carter fouled out on a tough call with 1:48 left but the Terrapins responded.

"It was pretty emotional. He was positive still" on the bench, Layman said.

Said Carter: "I was trying to keep everyone calm and focus on the task at hand."

Guard Peter Jok led Iowa with 14 points, center Adam Woodbury had 11 points and 10 rebounds before fouling out, guard Mike Gesell had 12 points and guard Anthony Clemmons added 11 points.

Iowa forward Jarrod Uthoff, the team's leading scorer and a player of the year candidate, made just 2 of 13 shots from the field and was held to nine points, with 10 rebounds.

"We threw a lot of guys at him," Layman said.

It was the first time this season he did not score at least 10 points.

"They were just physical" against Uthoff, Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said. "They have got some guys with size. I think (Maryland was) locked in as a group."

Carter and Layman defended well against Uthoff. "He missed some pullups for us. Our guys were good against him," Turgeon said of defending Uthoff.

The Terrapins also defended well from the outside as Iowa was 3 of 15 from 3-point range in the second half.

"We could have done a lot better in a lot of different areas," McCaffery said. "We have to move the ball better. We have to make our free throws. I thought we could have defended the post better than we did. In crunch time we didn't rebound. They executed better than we did. We are not a team that has more turnovers than assists" as Iowa had 11 turnovers with nine assists.

The Terrapins (18-3, 7-2 Big Ten) remain unbeaten at home this year and in conference play the past two seasons. Iowa (16-4, 7-1) had won its first seven conference games by an average of nearly 12 points.

Layman scored to give Maryland a 62-58 lead with 3:09 to go. Freshman center Diamond Stone had a dunk with 1:24 left to make it 64-60 and reserve guard Jared Nickens scored on a layup to give the Terrapins a 66-60 lead with 1:09 left.

Sulaimon made one free throw with 49.7 seconds to make it 67-62 and Stone made one with 39.5 seconds left to give Maryland a 68-62 lead. After Iowa had a shot blocked, Sulaimon made a free throw with 25.5 left to push the advantage to 69-62.

Woodbury had made a basket to give Iowa a 50-49 lead with a little more than eight minutes left and picked up his fourth foul seconds later. He fouled out with2:47 left after scoring 11 points. Carter fouled out with 1:48 left for Maryland.

"We have a tough schedule ahead of us," Turgeon said. "You could tell our guys were ready to compete. Tonight we really competed."

NOTES: Iowa hosts Northwestern on Sunday, while Maryland plays the same day at Ohio State. ... Iowa assistant coach Sherman Dillard was an assistant at Maryland under Lefty Driesell. ... The Hawkeyes entered the game with five wins over AP Top 25 teams this season, the most of any school. ... Iowa had its 13-game regular-season Big Ten winning streak snapped. ... Former Maryland star and ex-NBA player and coach John Lucas was at the game.