March 7, 2002
Purdue-Iowa Box Score in PDF Format
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By DAN GELSTON
Associated Press Writer
INDIANAPOLIS - Luke Recker scored 25 points and Reggie Evans added 19 and a career-tying 18 rebounds as Iowa opened defense of its Big Ten Tournament championship with an 87-72 victory over Purdue on Thursday.
The Hawkeyes (17-14), the tournament's ninth seed, advance to Friday's quarterfinals against No. 1 seed Wisconsin (18-11).
Recker and Evans combined for 24 points in the second half, as Iowa led by as many as 20. Recker hit a fadeaway 3-pointer that saw him tumble into coach Steve Alford for a 69-54 lead with 8:37 to go.
Chauncey Leslie gave Iowa a 19-point lead with a 3, but Purdue, the eighth seed, scored six straight points to make it 80-67 with 3:31 left.
But a basket by Leslie, two free throws by Pierre Pierce and a 3 by Recker made it 87-67.
Iowa, which a year ago became the first Big Ten team to win four games to win the title, shot 57 percent. Leslie and Pierce each scored nine points.
Big Ten scoring champions Willie Deane led Purdue with 16 points, Maynard Lewis had 15 and Rodney Smith 13 for Purdue.
The Boilermakers (13-18), who narrowly avoided their first last-place finish since 1965-66, tied the school's single-season record for losses. The 1952-53 team went 4-18.
Three 3-pointers helped Purdue open the game with an 11-5 lead. Two free throws by Evans, who surpassed the 1,000 career-point mark, put Iowa ahead for good 16-15.
Iowa's Brody Boyd hit consecutive 3-pointers for a 41-29 lead and the Hawkeyes led 46-34 at the half. Those were the only points for Boyd, third on the Indiana high school career scoring list.