Purdue women's basketball report: Iowa preview, Puryear injury update and more

The Boilermakers resume Big Ten play Sunday at Iowa, the start of a nine-game stretch facing five ranked teams

A snapshot look at Sunday’s matchup between the Boilermakers and the 24th-ranked Hawkeyes at Carver-Hawkeye Arena:

Time: 3 p.m.

Watch: B1G+

Listen: 95.3 BOB-FM

WHAT’S AT STAKE

Purdue and Iowa are both 0-1 as the conference season resumes. The Hawkeyes need to protect their home court since they have a smaller margin for error this season if they’re going to contend for the regular championship. Iowa is trying to stay connected to USC, UCLA, Maryland, and Ohio State - the top four teams - and winning at home is necessary. This is the start of a brutal month for the Boilermakers, who must find as many wins as possible to stay afloat. Ideally, Purdue secures a win either Sunday or Wednesday at No. 19 Michigan State, but it’s a tough assignment for this year’s team.

Katie Gearlds and Kendall Puryear (Dave Weigel Photography)

ABOUT PURDUE

• The last time the Boilermakers played, freshman Kendall Puryeart needed assistance leaving the court. She suffered a sprained ankle a week ago, but Puryear is expected to be in uniform Sunday against the Hawkeyes.

Gearlds said it’s nothing more than a sprain but “a really bad one.” Puryear has practiced since the Boilermakers returned from Christmas break, and her ankle is improving.

“I think the day we came back on (Dec. 26), it was a little swollen, probably from the flight,” Gearlds said. “We’ll take care of it, fly out to (Iowa), and make sure we keep the swelling out of that thing.”

Gearlds said Puryear took care of her ankle over break, even playing against her older brother to stay sharp.

“She's not 100%, but she'll be ready to go for us,” Gearlds said.

• A two-game winning streak may not seem like a big deal, but for Purdue, it is. The Boilermakers took that streak into the Christmas break after beating Miami (Ohio) and Indiana State. They had lost four out of five and suffered lopsided defeats to some of the top teams in the nation.

Resuming Big Ten play gives Gearlds’ team some confidence.

“It was huge for us,” Gearlds said. “It allowed us to enjoy the holiday and relax a little bit. We had a hungry group come back and had some really good practices. We'll see if it translates to (Sunday).”

• Look for UTEP transfer Mahri Petree to see more minutes against Big Ten teams. Gearlds said the Boilermakers need “a big guard” against conference competition, and Petree can make a difference with her size and athletic ability. She’s totaled 18 points and seven rebounds in the last three games after missing five straight. With McKenna Layden available, Petree won’t need to play the power forward spot.

“She was huge for us at Miami, Ohio, and then Kenna sat out against Indiana State,” Gearlds said. “Moving her back to (power forward), she's just not as comfortable there. But we need a big guard. We need somebody who can make shots and have some discipline about what she's doing.”

Mahri Petree (Chad Krockover Photography)

• Freshman Jordyn Poole’s minutes were limited against Miami (Ohio) and Indiana State in her first action of the season. There’s no longer a minutes restriction for the backup point guard.

“We’ve pulled off the handcuffs, and now we need to get her comfortable and confident out there,” Gearlds said.

The Boilermakers practiced twice Friday, and Poole didn’t experience soreness in her shin, which was the source of her stress fracture that had kept her out since the summer.

“For her to be on her leg that much, and not getting any soreness … ‘Maybe I am OK kind of thing,’ ” Gearlds said. “Just getting extra reps. We've got a great group of practice guys here over break, and the more reps she can get, the more confident she can become. She can help us. She's going to be a tick behind on the defensive end, but if she can make up for it on an offensive end, we'll live with it.”

• To simulate Sunday’s sellout crowd at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Gearlds played loud music at Cardinal Court during practice. Iowa has played in front of 27 consecutive home sellouts, the longest streak in the nation.

“We had the music blowing as loud as we could,” she said. “Lots of loud music, and I know (Friday) night, my head hurt from trying to scream out plays and coverages.”

• Destini Lombard leads Big Ten players with 30 steals, one ahead of USC’s JuJu Watkins.

• The Boilermakers have lost eight straight to the Hawkeyes and haven’t won in Iowa City since 2018. Sunday is the 80th all-time meeting between the programs with the Boilermakers holding a 40-39 advantage.

ABOUT IOWA

• No Caitlin Clark. No Lisa Bluder.

Is it the same Iowa everyone is accustomed to seeing?

“A different look without Catilin,” Gearlds said. “(Coach Jan Jansen) does exactly what you would think Iowa would do.”

Clark is now in the WNBA, and Bluder retired after a successful run, turning the program over to Jansen, her long-time assistant. The Hawkeyes have lost twice — Michigan State and Tennessee — but still feature a dynamic offense and the ability to shoot from the perimeter.

Villanova transfer Lucy Olsen isn’t Clark, but her skillset has kept Iowa among the top teams in the Big Ten. She’s the team’s leading scorer, and forward Addison O’Grady is shooting 67.9% from the field.

“Great spacing on the perimeter, big, dominant post players inside,” Gearlds said. “(Hannah) Stuelke still rim runs like crazy, and Olsen has stepped into, I don’t know if anybody can fill Caitlin Clark’s shoes, but if anybody could, Olsen has done it.

“Everybody else on a perimeter does exactly what they're supposed to do. They make open shots, don't turn the ball over at a high rate, and play stingy defense.”

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• One problem area for the Hawkeyes has been turnovers. They’re averaging 16.8 through 12 games, the second-most among Big Ten teams. However, the number is a bit inflated since Iowa committed 30 turnovers in a loss to Tennessee, which scored 42 points off those mistakes. Opponents are scoring nearly 16 points per game off Iowa turnovers.

• Taylor McCabe is the top 3-point shooting threat, hitting 48% from beyond the arc (24 of 50).

• The Hawkeyes haven’t started 0-2 in Big Ten play since 2013-14.

• Iowa has an 18-game home-court winning streak and is 37-2 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena during the last three seasons.

PRESSING QUESTION

Can the Boilermakers survive until February? The schedule is brutal as Purdue will face five teams currently ranked in the AP Top 25 - including the current No. 1 and No. 4 teams - and spend a week in the Pacific Northwest playing Oregon and Washington. The Boilermakers aren’t alone in this adventure we call the Big Ten, but they have a slim margin for error to make a move in the standings. There’s a path to eight or nine league wins, but that requires pulling a surprise or two against a current ranked team and on the road during the next nine games. The February schedule softens, but Purdue can’t lose its confidence to make a late-season push.