Purdue kept battling, as Trevion Williams hit a pair of free throws coming out of the break, then stole a pass on the ensuing Iowa possession to setup Jaden Ivey for a layup under the basket. The Hawkeyes were able to build up a 63-55 edge heading into the under-four minute media timeout. The ninth-ranked Boilermakers would battle back to go up 40-39 with 17:41 on the clock off a pull-up jumper from Eric Hunter, Jr., the first of six lead changes in the opening 10 minutes of the second half.Ī key turning point came with nine minutes to play, as freshman Payton Sandfort drilled back-to-back triples to give Iowa a six-point advantage, its largest lead of the half to that point.
Despite being out-rebounded, 27-15, and shooting just 3-of-15 (20 percent) from 3-point range in the first half, Iowa never trailed as it carried a 35-32 lead into halftime. It was a total team effort from the start, as early foul trouble gave opportunities for 12 Hawkeyes to see the floor in the first half. INDIANAPOLIS – The fifth-seeded University of Iowa men’s basketball team downed third-seeded Purdue, 75-66, on Sunday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse to earn the third Big Ten Tournament title in program history.
