A massive second half powered the Hawkeyes on Jan. 2 over the No. 14 Boilermakers, 70-63.
By Ian Murphy
The Iowa men’s basketball team dominated after halftime to beat No. 14 Purdue, 70-63, on Jan. 2 in West Lafayette, Indiana.
The win itself is impressive; the Boilermakers sold out their home floor and have one of the most formidable frontlines in the country in centers AJ Hammons, Isaac Hass, and forward Caleb Swanigan.
But the manner in which the Hawkeyes achieved the victory may be even more impressive.
Iowa opened with a 6-0 run and shut the Boilermakers out for the first three and a half minutes of the game. The Boilermakers weathered the Hawkeyes’ early storm, however, and quickly opened a 22-13 lead after a string of 3-point baskets fell.
Kendall Stephens knocked down a jumper for Purdue to end the first half. The Hawkeyes had trailed by as many as 19 and were down 37-20 as they went back to the locker room. To be blunt, the Hawkeyes couldn’t hit the lake if they’d cast a fishing line from a boat in the middle.
Iowa shot an abysmal 23.1 percent in the first half, but rallied over the course of the second half to finish with a 43.1 percentage. Senior Jarrod Uthoff led all scorers with 25 points, including 16 of Iowa’s 20 in the first half.
Nailing down one play or stretch of game to define the Hawkeyes’ second-half performance would be unfair. The Hawkeyes played better through every part of the second half.
They outscored the Boilermakers 50-26 over the final 20 minutes and forced them into 14 turnovers, with 22 points coming off them.
Junior Peter Jok and senior Anthony Clemmons opened the scoring for the Hawkeyes in the second half, and Purdue went cold.
The Hawkeyes cut the lead to 9 points in just over six minutes, as the hot hands of Clemmons and Jok continued to work the lead down.
Senior Mike Gesell, who, like Uthoff, Clemmons, and fellow senior Adam Woodbury, had never beaten Purdue in West Lafayette, hit a 3 with just over 10 minutes to cut the lead to 5.
Iowa took a 48-46 lead on a Dom Uhl 3 with seven minutes left, and Iowa held on to that lead, eventually stretched it, and beat the Boilermakers in Indiana for the first time since 2006.
The Hawkeyes have beaten three ranked teams this the season, then No. 20 Wichita State, No. 1 Michigan State on Dec. 29 in Carver, and now the Boilermakers.
Iowa will play at home against Nebraska on Jan. 5.
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