Feb. 21, 2001
By GREG SMITH
Associated Press Writer
IOWA CITY, Iowa - Reggie Evans scored 20 points, including five in overtime, to help lead Iowa to a 78-72 victory over Purdue on Wednesday, the Boilermakers' sixth straight loss.
Dean Oliver scored 15 points, Brody Boyd had 13, Glen Worley 12 and Kyle Galloway 10 for the Hawkeyes (18-8, 7-6 Big Ten), who snapped a four-game losing streak. Carson Cunningham finished with 19 points, Kenneth Lowe had 17 and Willie Deane 16 for Purdue (13-12, 5-9), which played without two injured starters and fouled out four players but still managed to fight back from a 16-point deficit with 15:58 to play.
Evans, held to a season-low two points in Iowa's 94-70 loss Sunday at Michigan State, didn't have a good shooting night but cashed in big-time from the free throw line.
Evans, a 59.1 percent free throw shooter, sank 16 of 22 from the line, including five of eight in overtime, to offset his 2-of-10 shooting from the floor. He also grabbed 16 rebounds to notch his 18th double-double of the season.
Iowa drained 28 of 38 free throws while Purdue hit 18-of-21.
Deane's leaning jumpshot in the lane gave the Boilermakers their first lead, 68-67, with 3:01 to play in the extra session before Oliver's layin put the Hawkeyes up by one. An Evans free throw made it 70-68, but Deane tied the game with a jumper from the top of the key with 1:55 remaining.
Evans' two free throws put Iowa back on top, 72-70, at the 1:33 mark and Galloway nailed a 3-pointer from the left wing a minute later to give Iowa a 75-70 edge.
Deane's jumper with 26.2 seconds was the final score for the Boilermakers as Evans and Oliver hit free throws to preserve the win.
Purdue played without leading scorer Rodney Smith and John Allison, both out with injuries sustained last week.
The Boilermakers rallied from a 21-4 deficit, cutting the Hawkeyes' lead to 21-12 on Brett Buscher's basket 6:58 before halftime. Evans hit a free throw and Oliver and Duez Henderson had consecutive three-point plays in a 7-2 spurt to push Iowa's lead to 28-14.
A tipin at the buzzer by Galloway allowed the Hawkeyes to maintain the margin, 36-22, at halftime as Iowa shot 56.5 percent while forcing the Boilermakers into a 9-of-26 performance from the field (34.6 percent).