PHOTO GALLERY: Purdue Thwarts Iowa Comeback Hopes at Mackey Arena
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — No. 1 Purdue basketball defeated Iowa 87-73 on Thursday night at Mackey Arena, improving to 23-2 and 12-2 in Big Ten play. The Boilermakers led by as many as 21 points and dissolved a second-half comeback attempt by the Hawkeyes.
Freshman point guard Braden Smith scored a career-high 24 points on 8-of-10 shooting, hitting four 3-pointers while adding five assists and four rebounds. Four other Purdue players scored in double figures in the matchup.
But Iowa found its rhythm after trailing 38-21 at halftime, scoring on 60% of its shot attempts in the final period to cut the deficit to as little as six points. Junior forward Kris Murray tied smith with a game-high 24 points. He was 10-of-16 from the field.
The Boilermakers, despite its barrage of scoring, turned the ball over 17 times, which led to an extra 14 points for their opponents. But with a rebounding advantage of 43-23, the team once again extended its lead to double-digits and put the game away.
"What Iowa did in the second half to us scoring the basketball, pressing us, they do it to everybody," Purdue coach Matt Painter said. "They're a team of runs. You just don't want it to be 40 minutes of that. It was 20 minutes tonight, and we're fortunate. If the game was tied at halftime, it's a different outcome."
PHOTO GALLERY: No. 1 Purdue 87, Iowa 73
Fletcher Loyer
Purdue Boilermakers guard Fletcher Loyer (2) reacts after making a basket.
Braden Smith
Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3) reacts after making a basket.
Matt Painter
Purdue Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter yells down the court.
Ethan Morton
Purdue Boilermakers guard Ethan Morton (25) is defended by Iowa Hawkeyes guard Ahron Ulis (1).
Braden Smith
Iowa Hawkeyes forward Kris Murray (24) defends Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3).
Mason Gillis and Fletcher Loyer
Purdue Boilermakers forward Mason Gillis (0) high-fives Purdue Boilermakers guard Fletcher Loyer (2).
Mason Gillis
Iowa Hawkeyes forward Payton Sandfort (20) defends Purdue Boilermakers forward Mason Gillis (0).
Ethan Morton
Purdue Boilermakers guard Ethan Morton (25) reacts to a call.
Caleb Furst and Zach Edey
Purdue Boilermakers forward Caleb Furst (1) high-fives Purdue Boilermakers center Zach Edey (15).
Purdue Boilermakers guard Fletcher Loyer (2) reacts to making a 3-pointer.
Brandon Newman
Purdue Boilermakers guard Brandon Newman (5) defends Iowa Hawkeyes forward Patrick McCaffery (22).
Caleb Furst
Purdue Boilermakers forward Caleb Furst (1) looks to get past Iowa Hawkeyes guard Connor McCaffery (30).
Fletcher Loyer
Purdue Boilermakers guard Fletcher Loyer (2) looks to get the ball past Iowa Hawkeyes forward Kris Murray (24).
Ethan Morton
Purdue Boilermakers guard Ethan Morton (25) keeps the ball away from Iowa Hawkeyes guard Connor McCaffery (30).
Zach Edey
Purdue Boilermakers center Zach Edey (15) warms up before the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Mackey Arena.
-----
Related Stories on Purdue Basketball
- Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery Praises Purdue's Unselfishness: No. 1 Purdue basketball had five players score in double figures to take down Iowa 87-73 on Thursday night at Mackey Arena. Hawkeyes coach Fran McCaffery talked about the team's selfless approach during his postgame press conference. CLICK HERE
- Braden Smith Leads Purdue to Victory Over Iowa: Freshman point guard Braden Smith was one of five scorers in double figures for Purdue in a victory over Iowa on Thursday at home. He posted a career-high 24 points and made four 3-pointers, finishing 8-of-10 from the field. CLICK HERE
- Purdue, Iowa Live Blog: No. 1 Purdue basketball welcomed Iowa to Mackey Arena on Thursday night and came away with an 87-73 victory. Relive some of the action from our live blog. CLICK HERE
- Zach Edey Named Big Ten Co-Player of the Week: Purdue junior center Zach Edey earned his sixth Big Ten Player of the Week honor, tying Caleb Swanigan for the most in a single season in program history. He averaged 25.5 points and 15.5 rebounds per game for the Boilermakers across two contests. CLICK HERE
- Purdue Remains No. 1 in Latest AP Top 25 Poll: Purdue retained the No. 1 spot atop the Associated Press Top 25 college basketball poll despite losing to rival Indiana 79-74 on the road. The Boilermakers were among four teams receiving first-place votes. CLICK HERE
-----
Keep up to date on everything at BoilermakersCountry.com by liking and following our Facebook page: Purdue Boilermakers on Sports Illustrated/FanNation.
D.J. Fezler is a staff writer for BoilermakersCountry.com. Hailing from The Region, he is from Cedar Lake in Northwest Indiana and has spent the last two years covering Purdue football and basketball.