Boilermakers Can’t Overcome Hawkeyes Czinano and Clark

Shawn Martin

ExcelHSports

The Purdue Women’s Basketball team came into Thursday night’s B1G matchup with Iowa riding a five-game winning streak – Purdue won seven games all of last season.

That streak ended abruptly to the Hawkeyes, mainly due the Boilermakers inability to hit shots in the friendly confines, and their inability to consistently contain Iowa’s quick guards and solid post players from getting the ball deep in the lane for scoring opportunities.

Iowa scored 50 points in the paint and shot 49.1% for the game. While they didn’t hit a single three-point basket in the game, they made a strong showing at the free throw line, knocking down 27 of 30 attempts there.

Conversely, the Boilers had to work very hard to get shots on most possessions late in the shot clock, and those contested shots went in at only a 36.5% rate. They did hit six three’s – but in 27 attempts – and were outscored by 13 points at the FT line.

Iowa’s Catlin Clark came into the game as the nation’s leading scorer, and Purdue did a solid job on her, forcing her into 5 of 14 shooting – including an uncharacteristic 0-6 from deep – but she went to the line 16 times and hit all but two of those to finished with 24 points – a point below her season average.

6-3 senior post Monika Czinano dominated the inside for the Hawkeyes. The Boilers had no answer for her as she hit 12 of her 14 shots in the paint mostly on post-ups and hit all three of her free throws for a game high 27 points.

Purdue’s leading scorer Madison Layden was saddled with foul trouble most of the game. She got two quick ones late in the first quarter and thus was a limited participant for Purdue Coach Katie Geralds in the second quarter. Layden eventually fouled out playing only 27 minutes – 7 below her season average – and scoring 11 points. Abbey Ellis led Purdue with 18 and Brook Moore added 14 for Purdue (11-5 overall, 2-3 in B1G).

Purdue hosts #6 ranked IU on Sunday. Lisa Bluder’s Hawkeyes (9-4, 3-1) host Nebraska on Sunday.