Ava Heiden Leads Iowa to 83-74 Victory Over Purdue and Takes Series Lead

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Ava Heiden scored 21 points and collected a double-double to propel No 13 Iowa to an 83-74 victory over Purdue on Thursday night at Mackey Arena, giving the Hawkeyes a historic edge in the all-time series at 41-40.

Heiden was remarkably efficient, shooting 10 of 12 from the floor while adding 13 rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Taylor Stremlow contributed 19 points on 7 of 10 shooting, including five assists, while Journey Houston added 16 points and five rebounds. Iowa shot 59 percent from the field and 47 percent from beyond the arc, continuing a dominant stretch against the Boilermakers with their 10th straight win in the matchup.

Purdue (12-14, 4-11 Big Ten) was paced by Nya Smith, who scored 19 points with five rebounds and five assists. Kiki Smith added 17 points, Tara Daye 15 points and seven rebounds, and Kendall Puryear contributed 12 points and seven rebounds. Despite their effort, Purdue struggled to keep pace with Iowa’s sustained scoring runs.

Iowa opened the game with an 11-2 run and followed it with a decisive 20-1 surge in the first half, taking a 51-32 lead into the break. Stremlow scored all 19 of her points in the first half, shooting 7 of 8 from the floor and connecting on 5 of 5 from three-point range. Heiden then took control in the second half, scoring 12 points and hitting a pair of early jumpers that built a 23-point advantage, marking the game-high lead. Purdue mounted a late 7-0 run in the final two minutes to narrow the final margin, but the Hawkeyes maintained control for the majority of the contest.

This victory underscores Iowa’s continued rise in the Big Ten standings and sets up a critical matchup at home against No 6 Michigan on Sunday. Purdue will look to rebound when they travel to face No 14 Maryland on Sunday, aiming to end a challenging stretch of conference play.