Iowa got off to a slow start in the first half and never recovered, dropping its second straight game in embarrassing fashion.
Even after a dismal loss to Maryland on Wednesday, Iowa basketball had a golden opportunity to rebound against No. 13 Purdue in front of a sold-out crowd at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
But instead of securing the signature win its fanbase has longed for, the Hawkeyes fell flat early and never recovered, falling in a 78-57 rout on Saturday.
Bennett Stirtz finished with a team-high 19 points, but he was held to just two field goals in the first half. Iowa could never find any rhythm on offense, shooting just 38% for the game and 28% (6/21) from three-point range.
The Hawkeyes drop to 18-7 overall and 8-6 in Big Ten play with the loss.
First Half
Keeping the sold-out crowd engaged in the game was key for Iowa's chances. The Hawkeyes didn't register a field goal until the 16:42 mark, but the roar following Tavion Banks' and-one highlighted the giant beam of energy the Iowa faithful was willing to provide for their team.
The Hawkeyes struggled to convert from the field after that, falling into a four-minute scoring drought. Not only was scoring points an issue, Purdue's bigs quickly began to overwhelm the undersized Iowa post players, with a three-pointer off a missed free throw being a prime example of this.
Desperately needing size, Hawkeye coach Ben McCollum turned to freshmen big Trevin Jirak. The West Des Moines native has barely seen any action in Big Ten play, but he showed little fear on the big stage. He did most of his damage from the charity stripe, but Jirak did mix in a three-pointer to ignite the Carver-Hawkeye Arena crowd.
The Boilermakers maintained a 10-point lead for most of the first half. Iowa looked like it would slice into that deficit late in the frame, but missed layups and free throws allowed Purdue to hold on to an 11-point lead (36-25) at the break.
The Hawkeyes shot just 29% from the floor in the first half, which included a poor 2/12 (16.7%) clip from distance. Iowa faired decently on the defensive end, holding the Boilers to 43% from the field, but were fortunate to see Purdue miss several open triples.
Second Half
The Hawkeyes opened the first half poorly, but they outdid themselves in the second. McCollum's halftime message didn't resonate with his team, and five quick Purdue points extended its lead to 16 just two minutes into the period.
Iowa called a timeout to try and reset, but the score continued to get worse. The Hawkeyes showed little signs of resistance throughout the early portion of the half, and the Boilermakers knew it. Some of the Purdue players were even laughing as they ran down the court.
Iowa did shoot roughly 50% in the second, but that was mostly due to garbage time field goals when the game was already in hand. While the Boilers missed some open jumpers in the first, they seemingly couldn't miss in the second, going 6/14 from outside.
Fans began filing for the exits with 10 minutes left in the game, and once the contest was finally over, hardly any were left in the building.
Up Next
The Hawkeyes return to action on Tuesday, Feb. 17, for a home matchup against Nebraska. The Cornhuskers have been one of the biggest surprises in college basketball this year, and will come into this contest at 22-3 overall and 11-3 in Big Ten play.
Tip off from Carver-Hawkeye Arena is set for 8 p.m. CST on Big Ten Network.