Hawkeyes snap 4-game losing skid

IOWA CITY — It had been a while since the Iowa Hawkeyes had an opportunity to celebrate, and they were going to take their time and max it out.

'It was fun to be in the locker room afterward,' Chase Coley said. 'People got to see tonight how hard we've been working.

'It was fun to dance with the team.'

Ally Disterhoft clarified: 'Try to dance.'

Iowa held Purdue scoreless for the final 4:40, scored the last eight points, and ended a four-game losing streak, 63-55, in a Big Ten women's basketball game in front of 3,659 Thursday night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

'It was a happy locker room,' Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder said. 'We needed that. Now, maybe we can get on a little bit of a roll.'

Iowa (16-11 overall, 6-9 Big Ten) sent the Boilermakers (16-10, 7-8) to their fifth consecutive loss. They did it despite not converting a 3-point shot all night.

The two freshman starters played a pivotal role. Megan Gustafson registered 18 points and seven rebounds, and Tania Davis was solid across the boxscore — 12 points, six rebounds, six assists and four steals.

Davis made the play of the game, grabbing a steal, hustling downcourt and dishing a left-handed, behind-the-back pass to a trailing Whitney Jennings for a layup that gave Iowa a 60-55 advantage with 1:12 to go.

'As long as (the pass) gets there, I'm OK,' Bluder said. 'It wasn't a beautiful pass. I'm kind of more fundamental, jump-stop. But she's having fun, and that's what's important.'

Iowa has suffered through a run of games in which it allowed a lot of fourth-quarter points. Not this night. Purdue managed just six points in the final 10 minutes.

'We just came together in the huddle and said, 'This is the last four minutes we're going to play Purdue. Let's go win this game,'' Coley said.

Down 49-47 entering the fourth quarter, Iowa scored eight straight points for a 55-49 advantage. Purdue scored the next six to tie it, then Iowa followed with the final eight.

Davis converted four free throws and the pivotal steal-and-dish in the game-breaking surge.

The Boilermakers torched Iowa for 90 points in the previous meeting in West Lafayette, but the Hawkeyes held them to 35.5-percent shooting Thursday, including 4 of 20 from long distance.

Gustafson hit 7 of 9 shots from the floor. Coley added 14 points and seven rebounds, and Disterhoft added 12 points, reaching double digits for the 27th straight time this season.

The Hawkeyes host Indiana at 2 p.m. Sunday.

IOWA 63, PURDUE 55

At Iowa City

PURDUE (55): Torrie Thornton 1-3 0-0 2, Ashley Morrissette 3-17 1-2 8, Hayden Hamby 2-6 0-0 5, Bridget Perry 1-9 4-6 6, Andreona Keys 7-10 0-0 14, Tiara Murphy 0-1 0-0 0, Nora Kiesler 0-0 0-0 0, Dominique McBryde 0-2 0-0 0, Bree Horrocks 3-3 0-0 6, April Wilson 5-11 2-2 14. Totals 22-62 7-10 55.

IOWA (63): Chase Coley 6-12 2-2 14, Megan Gustafson 7-9 4-7 18, Ally Disterhoft 4-8 4-6 12, Tania Davis 3-5 6-6 12, Whitney Jennings 3-10 0-0 6, Alexa Kastanek 0-2 0-0 0, Christina Buttenham 0-1 0-0 0, Kali Peschel 0-0 1-2 1. Totals 23-47 17-23 63.

Halftime: Iowa 32, Purdue 27. 3-point goals: Purdue 4-20 (Morrissette 1-7, Hamby 1-4, Perry 0-2, Keys 0-1, Murphy 0-1, Wilson 2-5), Iowa 0-5 (Davis 0-2, Jennings 0-1, Kastanek 0-2). Team fouls: Purdue 21, Iowa 7. Fouled out: none. Rebounds: Purdue 34 (Perry 8), Iowa 35 (Coley, Gustafson 7). Assists: Purdue 11 (Morrissette 6), Iowa 13 (Davis 6). Steals: Purdue 11 (four with 2), Iowa 8 (Davis 4). Turnovers: Purdue 17, Iowa 21.

Attendance: 3,659.

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com