Big Ten Saturday Recap: Iowa surges back from huge deficit, upsets Purdue

Game of the Night

Iowa Hawkeyes 70, Purdue Boilermkaers 63

The Hawkeyes surged back from an 18 point deficit to get a huge win on the road against Purdue. The Hawkeyes took down the Boilermakers on Saturday after beating #1 Michigan State earlier in the week. Needless to say, Iowa is off to the hottest start in conference play out of any team in the Big Ten, maybe even the country.

The Hawkeyes looked to be buried at halftime after the Boilermakers took a commanding 37-20 lead, but back came Iowa to score 50 second half points that stunned Purdue. The Hawkeyes were led by Jarrod Uthoff with 25 points; he was a huge reason the Hawkeyes were able to make one of the best comebacks we've seen this year. In addition, they got a nice contribution from Peter Jok. Though the sharpshooter struggled with his three point shot (0-6), he managed 11 points and even pulled down 9 boards.

Purdue went just 39% from the field and could get nothing going in the second half to stop Iowa. The Boilermakers were led by Kendall Stephens and A.J. Hammons with 12 and 11 points, but the rest of the team struggled immensely. Caleb Swanigan and Raphael Davis went a combined 4-17 from the floor. The Boilermakers who usually control the boards in every contest, only outrebounded Iowa by 1. They also turned the ball over 14 times.

Iowa undoubtedly just had its biggest week of the season. Beating Purdue on the road is colossal for the Hawkeyes who are looking to make it back into the NCAA Tournament this season. Expect them to be ranked at the start of next week. The Boilermakers struggled in the second half against Iowa but still remain one of the top teams in the conference. Expect them to bounce back when they face Michigan at home.

The Rest

Indiana Hoosiers 79, Nebraska Corhuskers 69

Nebraska fought tooth and nail with the Huskers on Saturday evening, but a late push by Indiana was enough to get the road win. The Hoosiers improve to 2-0 in the conference and now boast two wins on the road. They'll have a two-game home stand to follow. Nebraska on the other hand, loses its second straight Big Ten home game to fall to 0-2 in the conference. The Hoosiers shot 55% from the field on Saturday and were led by Yogi Ferrell with 24 points. Nebraska's Andrew White III led the way for the Huskers with 16 points.

Maryland Terrapins 72, Northwestern Wildcats 59

Even though it was supposed to be a highly-contested game, Maryland was able to easily skate by the Wildcats on Saturday night. Northwestern entered the contest at 13-1 and really began raising some eyebrows across the nation. Though the Terrapins set them in their place, there's still no denying the potential that this team has. Bryant McIntosh has a great night for Northwestern as he dropped 17 points for the Wildcats. Maryland had an even better night from the likes of Melo Trimble and Rasheed Sulaimon. The two scored 24 and 16 points respectively and combined for 14 total rebounds. Maryland is proving that it still should be considered as one of the best teams in the nation.

Michigan State Spartans 69, Minnesota Gophers 61

Though the Gophers never led in the second half, Michigan State was able to hold off Minnesota to get a solid road win in the Big Ten on Saturday. The Spartans led by 10 points with just under 10 minutes remaining in the game, but the Gophers were able to cut the deficit to 2 in the final 5 minutes. Despite hanging around, Minnesota didn't score in the last 2 minutes, and Michigan State got the win. The Spartans got a great showing from Matt Costello with 17 points and 15 rebounds. Nate Mason led the Gophers with 16 points and 6 boards.

Penn State Nittany Lions 56, Michigan Wolverines 79

Caris LeVert missed Michigan's home opener against Penn State with a lower leg injury, but the Wolverines had no trouble topping Penn State regardless. The red-hot Michigan Wolverines shot 59% from the floor and hit 14 three pointers. Mark Donnal and Zak Irvin were the stars of the show, notching 16 points apiece. Donnal cleared 6 rebounds while Irvin hit 4 three pointers. Brandon Taylor was Penn State's only spark as he went for 18 points and 6 boards. Michigan moves to 2-0 in the conference while Penn State falls to 0-2.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights 57, Wisconsin Badgers 79

Wisconsin bounces back on Saturday afternoon after losing its Big Ten home opener to Purdue earlier this week. Rutgers didn't stand much of a chance against the Badgers, as Wisconsin was able to shoot 53% from the floor. It was led by rising senior Zak Showalter who posted 21 points on the day. Freshman Ethan Happ had a double double with 16 points and 10 boards. Rutgers' Mike Williams led the Scarlet Knights with 20 points. Wisconsin moves to 1-1 after its win over Rutgers, and the Scarlet Knights fall to 0-2.