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<p>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.</p>
<p>“It was fun to be in the locker room afterward,” Chase Coley
said. “People got to see tonight how hard we’ve been working.</p>
<p>“It was fun to dance with the team.”</p>
<p>Ally Disterhoft clarified: “Try to dance.”</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>“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.”</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>“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.”</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>“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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>Davis converted four free throws and the pivotal steal-and-dish
in the game-breaking surge.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>The Hawkeyes host Indiana at 2 p.m. Sunday.</p>
<p><strong>IOWA 63, PURDUE 55</strong></p>
<p>At Iowa City</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>Attendance: 3,659.</p>
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