March 2, 2003
By CHUCK SCHOFFNER
AP Sports Writer
IOWA CITY, Iowa - Shereka Wright scored 25 points and Erika Valek added 15 as No. 12 Purdue overcame 19 turnovers to beat Iowa 78-68 Sunday in the regular-season finale for both.
Purdue (23-5, 12-4 Big Ten) came up with the shots it needed to hold off Iowa in the second half and tied for second in the conference with Minnesota. Penn State clinched the championship with a 76-55 victory over Wisconsin earlier in the day.
Lindsey Hicks and Emily Heikes each scored 11 points for Purdue and Heikes had 15 rebounds.
Trailing 40-31 at halftime, Iowa (14-13, 6-10) got to within four points midway through the second half and trailed 65-59 after Jennie Lillis converted a three-point play with 5:02 left. The Hawkeyes then missed two good shots a minute later - a 3-point attempt by Crystal Smith and a turnaround by Lillis - and Purdue pulled away.
Sharika Webb fed Wright for a layup on Purdue's next possession, starting a 9-2 run that Wright finished with a three-point play, making it 74-61 with 1:43 remaining and ending Iowa's hopes.
Lillis led Iowa with 25 points on 10-for-16 shooting and Kristi Faulkner scored 15.
Fifty-one fouls were called in the whistle-filled game, 27 on Iowa, and key players from both teams spent long stretches on the bench. Lillis and starter Johanna Solverson missed much first half and Solverson fouled out. Center Mary Jo Noon played only 12 minutes for Purdue and Valek played the final 4:48 with four fouls.
Purdue took advantage of Iowa's foul trouble to build a 13-point lead in the first half. Lillis went to the bench with her second foul at the 12:44 mark and Solverson followed 21 seconds later after being whistled for foul No. 2.
Iowa led 11-10 when Lillis went out, but with their go-to player gone, the Hawkeyes went 6 1/2 minutes without a basket. Purdue capitalized with an 11-2 run to go up 21-13, and the lead grew to 32-19 when Webb stole the ball, got it to Valek and then took a return pass for a layup with 4:07 left.
Thirteen seconds later, Iowa coach Lisa Bluder sent Lillis back into the game and she made an immediate impact, scoring six points and feeding Jamie Cavey for a layup that cut the lead to 38-31. Valek's jumper gave Purdue its nine-point halftime lead.
Iowa outscored Purdue 23-18 while Lillis was in the game in the first half. The Boilermakers held a 32-18 edge while she was on the bench.