WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – A first quarter deficit proved too much to overcome, as the Purdue women’s basketball team fell 83-74 to No. 13/12 Iowa on Thursday night at Mackey Arena.
Purdue (12-14, 4-11) trailed the Hawkeyes (21-5, 12-3) by 15 points after the first quarter, before outscoring the visitors 60-54 over the final 30 minutes. Purdue shot 41.5% from the floor and went 7-of-22 in the final three quarters.
Nya Smith knocked down a trio of 3-pointers to lead Purdue with 19 points on the night. The sophomore added five rebounds, five assists and a steal. Kiki Smith also hit three 3-pointers to score 17 points.
Tara Daye tallied 15 points and finished three rebounds shy of a double-double. Kendall Puryear was an efficient 6-of-7 from the floor for 12 points with seven rebounds.
For the game, Purdue shot 42.4% from the floor and went 7-of-25 from behind the arc. The two sides matched in the rebound battle 30-30, but Purdue flipped 10 offensive rebounds into 11 points, while Iowa managed just three on six second-chance opportunities.
Purdue outscored Iowa off turnovers with 17 points on 19 miscues compared to Iowa’s 14 points on 13 turnovers.
The Hawkeyes opened a 26-point lead at the 4:36 mark of the second quarter after hitting their seventh triple of the first half. Purdue tried to claw back over the final 24:36, outscoring Iowa by 17 points. Nya Smith hit back-to-back 3-pointers to start a 13-6 run that cut the gap to 19 at the break.
After Iowa extended its lead back out to 22 to open the third, the Boilermakers went on an 11-point run with four points coming from Daye. Purdue went 8-of-15 from the field with a pair of triples in the third to win the frame 20-15.
Down 14 heading into the fourth, the Boilermakers brought the game within 11 points three times, before Iowa halted momentum with a run to extend the gap back to 15 points.
The Hawkeyes put four players in double figures, led by Ava Heiden’s 21-point, 13-rebound double-double.
NOTES
• Purdue trails the all-time series with Iowa 41-40.
• Nya Smith matched her career high with five assists.
• Lana McCarthy posted a team-best plus-minus of five in 21 minutes of work.
• Kiki Smith reached 100 3-pointers in her career with her trio.
• Hila Karsh finished with four assists for her eighth game this year with four or more helpers.
• Purdue finished with 10 steals for the eighth time this year.
• The Boilermakers shot 48.8% over the final 23:37 of the game.
UP NEXT
The Boilermakers will hit the road for their penultimate game away from Mackey Arena for a 1 p.m. start on B1G+ against No. 14 Maryland.