Iowa Women's Basketball Dominates Purdue in Road Victory

Hawkeyes cruise past Boilermakers to maintain Big Ten Tournament positioning

Feb. 24, 2026 at 7:15pm

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The #13 Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball team defeated the Purdue Boilermakers 84-60 in a Big Ten matchup at Mackey Arena. Led by strong performances from center Ava Heiden and forward Hannah Stuelke, the Hawkeyes controlled the game from start to finish, taking advantage of Purdue's struggling defense to score efficiently in the paint.

Why it matters

This win keeps Iowa firmly in the hunt for a double-bye in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament, maintaining their position near the top of the conference standings. For Purdue, the loss continues a disappointing season as they struggle to find consistency on both ends of the floor.

The details

Iowa's frontcourt duo of Heiden and Stuelke combined for 52 points on 22-of-30 shooting, dominating the Boilermakers' interior defense. Purdue had no answer for the Hawkeyes' size and physicality, allowing Iowa to score 52 points in the paint. The Boilermakers' struggles on offense continued, as they failed to reach 70 points for the ninth time in Big Ten play.

  • The game tipped off at 6:00pm CT on Wednesday, February 19, 2026.
  • Iowa has now won 9 consecutive meetings against Purdue dating back to 2021.

The players

Ava Heiden

Iowa's sophomore center led the way with 27 points and 11 rebounds, continuing her strong season.

Hannah Stuelke

The senior forward added 25 points and 6 rebounds to complement Heiden's dominant performance.

Madison Layden-Zay

Purdue's fifth-year senior guard scored a team-high 15 points but struggled with her efficiency, going 5-of-15 from the field.

Tara Daye

The Boilermakers' leading scorer on the season, the junior guard was limited to 15 points on 5-of-12 shooting.

Katie Gearlds

Purdue's head coach is in her fifth season leading the program, which is still seeking its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2015.

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What they’re saying

“Our frontcourt really set the tone tonight. Ava and Hannah were dominant inside and that opened things up for the rest of the team.”

— Jan Jensen, Iowa Head Coach

“We just couldn't find a way to slow them down in the paint. It's been an issue for us all season and tonight was no different.”

— Katie Gearlds, Purdue Head Coach

What’s next

Iowa will look to continue its strong play on Sunday when it hosts the Michigan Wolverines, another key Big Ten contender. Purdue, meanwhile, will try to regroup at home against the struggling Wisconsin Badgers.

The takeaway

This decisive victory over Purdue solidifies Iowa's status as one of the top teams in the Big Ten, as the Hawkeyes continue to prove they can dominate opponents with their size and physicality in the paint. For Purdue, the loss is another setback in what has been a disappointing season, raising further questions about the program's direction under head coach Katie Gearlds.