INDIANAPOLIS — Monika Czinano scored a career-high 38 points and Big Ten Freshman of the Year Caitlin Clark just missed an eighth double-double, scoring 27 points with nine assists, and sixth-seeded Iowa pulled away from eleventh-seeded Purdue 83-72 Wednesday night in the Big Ten Conference tournament.
Iowa (16-8) advanced to play No. 19-ranked Rutgers (14-3), the tournament’s third seed, in a Thursday quarterfinal.
Czinano and Clark combined to score 23 of Iowa’s 27 points in an emphatic fourth quarter. Czinano scored five points in a 9-0 run as the Hawkeyes broke away for a 69-61 lead and held a double-digit lead for most of the last four minutes.
Kayana Traylor scored 19 points for Purdue (7-16). Madison Layden added 18, making five of Purdue’s 10 3-pointers.
With Iowa making just three of 22 shots from behind the arc, Purdue stayed close with its long-distance shooting, scoring 30 points from 3-point baskets. Layden knocked down a 3 early in the fourth, putting Purdue ahead 57-56, its first lead since 36-34 just before halftime.
Purdue (7-16), entered the game with a 6-1 record against tournament six seeds, and coach Sharon Versyp holds the Big Ten record for tournament wins with 25, 23 with the Boilermakers.
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