Iowa women’s basketball took down Purdue in West Lafayette on Thursday night, 79-66, without making a 3-point shot.

The Hawkeyes went 0-for-15 from the 3-point line. The last time Iowa beat an opponent without converting a shot beyond the arc was against Purdue on Feb. 18, 2016.

“We had to find a different way to win,” senior center Monika Czinano said. “That was super important. Just pulling it out, playing a different way.”

The Hawkeyes still shot 49 percent from the field as Czinano made 12-of-14 shots for a team-leading 27 points. Sophomore point guard Caitlin Clark bucketed 24 points and went 14-of-16 from the free throw line.

“That was what you call an ugly game, in a way,” Clark said postgame. “I think, other than Monika, it wasn’t too pretty of a game, shooting-wise. But it’s a road win, no matter how you get it done, a win’s a win.”

Big Picture

The Hawkeyes (9-4 overall, 3-1 Big Ten) have won two consecutive games for the first time since November.

Iowa lost consistency in its playing schedule earlier in the 2021-22 season with five total games canceled or postponed because of COVID-19 protocols in November and December.

“Obviously, some confidence building,” Clark said of the consecutive wins. “I think it’s really good for us to be consistent, get some consistent play. We didn’t shoot the ball how we’d like, but once we get that down, I think we’re going to be more deadly.”

Iowa continues to stumble at 3-point line

The NCAA moved the women’s 3-point line back from 20 feet and nine inches to 22 feet and 1.75 inches — flush with the men’s 3-point line — starting in the 2021-22 season.

Since then, the Hawkeyes have struggled at the 3-point line. 

Iowa shot 40.8 percent from the perimeter in 2020-21. Now, the Hawkeyes are shooting 29.8 percent from the 3-point line through 13 games in 2021-22.

Clark shot 40.6 percent from the 3-point line in her freshman season and has dropped to 22.6 percent in 2021-22.

Up next

Iowa will take on Nebraska at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Sunday at 5 p.m.

The Hawkeyes took down the Huskers on Jan. 9 in Lincoln, 95-86. The two programs will play each other for the second time in one week.

The Huskers had 8,415 fans at Pinnacle Bank Arena last week, and the Hawkeyes are hoping for a similar turnout at Carver-Hawkeye Arena this Sunday.

“I think we’re really excited to get them in Carver, have our fanbase there,” Czinano said. “We know that they had a lot of fans over in Lincoln… it was a pretty emotional win, and I just can’t wait for [Nebraska] to come back because I think some of that emotion might carry over.”