Minnesota Hammers Purdue by 33 to Set Up Big Border Battle at Iowa

The Gophers shot 60% from the field and led by as many as 39 points.

Gophers wing Tori McKinney drives against Purdue. | Photo by Ceci De Young, University of Minnesota

The Golden Gophers women's basketball team throttled Purdue 88-55 Sunday afternoon, improving to 16-6 overall and 7-4 in the Big Ten.

Minnesota dominated the first half and led 43-23 at the break, only to build a 34-point lead on the back of a 16-0 run in the third quarter. They grew the lead to as many as 39 points in the fourth quarter before settling for the 33-point victory at Williams Arena in Minneapolis.

The win sets the stage for a border battle showdown at No. 8 Iowa on Thursday. The Hawkeyes fell to 18-4 with a blowout loss to No. 2 UCLA on Sunday. It was Iowa's second straight loss, having lost to USC in Los Angeles on Thursday.

Overall, the Hawkeyes are 18-4, including 9-2 in the Big Ten. They're also undefeated at home.

Minnesota hasn't beaten Iowa since the 2017 Big Ten Tournament, and the last time they won in Iowa City was January 25, 2007.

The Gophers are 1-3 against top-25 teams this season. They were blown out by then-third-ranked UCLA, narrowly lost to No. 9 Michigan, and fell in overtime in an epic collapse against Maryland back on December 7 when the Terrapins were ranked No. 7 in the country. The Gophers' lone win over a top-25 team was 63-62 at then-No. 21 USC on January 11.