Iowa men’s basketball loses to No. 13 Purdue in front of sold-out crowd, 78-57

IOWA CITY — It was the atmosphere the Hawkeyes had hoped for all season long. A sold-out Carver-Hawkeye Arena, a chance at a top 25 win and a chance to make a statement in Big Ten basketball.

Except the shooting woes of Iowa men’s basketball followed the Hawkeyes into the game. No. 13 Purdue was waiting, and had no problems disrupting any pregame excitement.

A sold-out arena, in what should’ve been a deafening environment, sounded like an everyday practice — aside from the ever-growing groans of frustration.

Fans were heading for the exits with 12 minutes left in the game, where they’d eventually learn that the No. 13 Boilermakers took down the Hawkeyes 78-57.

“They kicked our butt for us. I'm not embarrassed. It's a part of the process,” Iowa head coach Ben McCollum said. “It's humbling and it's good sometimes for the soul, but I don't want to feel it very often.”

The Boilermakers didn’t just rain on Iowa’s parade, they stomped on it. Purdue handed Iowa its largest loss of the season, surpassing when the Hawkeyes fell by 19 to Michigan State on Dec. 2.

It’s the second-straight loss for Iowa after its six game hot streak, which began after falling to the Boilermakers in West Lafayette on Jan. 14.

Iowa never shot above 40-percent the entire game. It made just six triples, and guard Bennett Stirtz was the only Hawkeye in double figures. Purdue’s defense sliced through Iowa’s passing — especially in the paint — and took control of the rebounding battle, 38-30.

“We just couldn't set our defense because they were in transition so much,” McCollum said. “Then they got too many (offensive) boards to start, and I thought that really hurt us as well.“

Stirtz played the final 12 minutes of the game with four fouls, ending the game with 19 points, five rebounds and just one assist.

McCollum tried to switch around matchups, giving guard Brendan Hausen and center Trevin Jirak some first half minutes. He put guard Isaia Howard and forward Alvaro Folgueiras into the lineup to start the second half.

It didn’t work. Purdue shot over 60-percent during the second half.

In the final weeks of the regular season, Iowa has sat in the very last spot for a double-bye in the Big Ten Tournament in Chicago. The Hawkeyes play four Quad 1 opponents over its final six games — two of which on the road.

Iowa hasn’t beaten a ranked program this season, and has at least three more attempts to do so before heading to Chicago in March.

To do so, the Hawkeyes need consistency from the entire team, not just Stirtz. Though the point guard was anticipated to carry a heavy load for Iowa’s offense, the Hawkeyes haven’t had more than two players score double figures since facing Washington during Iowa’s West Coast road trip.

“We're just not clicking on offense,” McCollum said. “The ball is not moving. We get in the paint and we should pass, and we try to shoot it. And then you take a contested at the rim shot and you miss it — that's a turnover.“

Purdue’s CJ Cox and GiCarri Harris led the Boilermakers with 14 points, while Fletcher Loyer and Trey Kaufman-Renn had 12 points. Braden Smith, who entered the game averaging 15.1 points per game, scored five points.

“They're a great team,” Stirtz said. “They've been playing together for four years, and you can see and they're just tight knit and stick together. They had three straight losses in conference play, but they still are on one of the best ones, hottest team in the country right now.”

The sold-out Carver-Hawkeye Arena was a shell of itself in the final minute of game time. Purdue’s “Boiler House” chant took over what was once a building echoing “let’s go Hawks.”

The sellout fell flat. Iowa could have another chance at a ranked win on Tuesday, when it hosts No. 7 Nebraska for an 8 p.m. tipoff.

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