BREAKING: No. 5 Purdue shuts the door on Iowa, 79-72, and takes firm hold of Big Ten momentum. Mackey Arena roared. The Boilermakers answered every push. Iowa left with more questions, and a new setback that stings.
Final: Purdue 79, Iowa 72. The Boilermakers close a perfect homestand and steady their top 5 form.
Purdue closes it out like a contender
This was a grown team win. Purdue controlled the final five minutes. The defense tightened. The guards made clean reads. The frontcourt finished through contact. Every time Iowa cut it to a single possession, Purdue found a high percentage touch and got a stop.
The rhythm looked familiar. Purdue played inside out. They owned the glass. They created kickout threes and lived at the rim. The bench minutes mattered too. Fresh legs kept the ball pressure and pace steady when it could have slipped.
This is how top 5 teams survive league nights that get messy. Nothing flashy. Just execution, poise, and patience.
How the game was won
I tracked three pressure points that swung the night. Purdue won all of them when it counted.
- Second chance points, sparked by relentless offensive boards
- Late shot clock composure, with clean actions and safe passes
- Free throws under stress, no empty trips in the last four minutes
Iowa wanted tempo. Purdue managed pace. The Boilermakers did not allow track-meet runs to snowball, and they forced Iowa to guard deep in the clock. That chip, chip, chip approach breaks legs in February. It worked tonight.
The dam broke on two straight defensive stands, both ending in strong box-outs and clean outlets. Purdue turned those into a dagger three, then a power finish. The crowd saw it, felt it, and turned the building into a wall of sound. That wave carried the Boilers to the horn. 🔥
Purdue’s late-game identity is set. Power at the rim, purposeful spacing, and smart clock control.
Iowa’s losing streak grows, and a fresh injury hurts
This was already a tough stretch for the Hawkeyes. It got tougher. Postgame, Iowa announced a freshman guard is out for the season due to injury. The timing is brutal. The rotation was thin. The perimeter minutes were already heavy for the veterans.
The loss at Purdue extends Iowa’s skid, and the problem is layered. Shot creation has been streaky. The defensive rebounds go missing at key moments. The young pieces are still learning Big Ten physicality. Now the backcourt depth thins even more. That affects ball pressure and spacing, especially against elite size.
Iowa still fights. They shared the ball and ripped off quick counters when Purdue blinked. But winning time demands stops. On the road, against a top 5 group, those stops never arrived in a row. That is the gap right now.
Iowa’s backcourt rotation just got tighter. Expect lineups to shift, and expect more minutes for multi-guard looks.
What this means for the Big Ten race
For Purdue, this checks key boxes. Protect home court. Finish a homestand clean. Build late-game trust. The standings love that, and so do the metrics that guide March seeding. Style also matters. Purdue imposed its plan. That travels.
For Iowa, the map changes. The path to a top tier league finish narrows, but there is time to stabilize. To do that, the Hawkeyes must:
- Trim live-ball turnovers that lead to runouts
- Secure the backboard with gang rebounding
- Manufacture points at the line when the jumpers cool
None of that is flashy, but it keeps you in games on the road. Right now, Iowa needs clean possessions and a foothold on defense. The injury makes it harder, not impossible.
Culture check, and what comes next
Purdue’s culture showed. Veterans led. Role players won small moments. The team trusted its base, not the heat of the moment. That is why this group sits in the top 5, and why it looks built for March. The details are simple. Two hands on rebounds. Feet set on kickouts. Strong passes to the right spots. The stuff that wins in this league.
Iowa’s culture will be tested. The locker room has to pull tighter. Young players will take on new work. Coaches will simplify and sharpen the plan. The Big Ten punishes lapses, but it also rewards resilience. There are get-right stretches ahead if the Hawkeyes clean the edges.
The headline tonight is clear. Purdue keeps rolling, 79-72, and grabs another Big Ten win with the calm of a contender. Iowa heads home with the streak extended and a fresh injury to absorb. February asks real questions. Purdue answered. Iowa has to respond fast.
Conclusion: Purdue finished with power and poise. Iowa fought, but the late-game edges belonged to the Boilermakers. The standings move, the stakes rise, and this race tightens by the night.
