Feb 6, 2003
By DAN GELSTON
Associated Press Writer
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Northwestern opened with the kind of start needed to knock off a Top-10 team.
But the Wildcats soon discovered against Purdue that the worst team in the Big Ten doesn't usually upset one of the best at home.
Erika Valek scored 18 points, and Beth Jones had 14 as No. 10 Purdue beat Northwestern 74-56 Thursday night.
The Boilermakers (19-3, 8-2 Big Ten) won their fifth straight game, are 11-0 at home and beat Northwestern (6-16, 1-10) for the 11th straight time.
 | "In the second half, Purdue came out like a Top-10 team. That's what they're supposed to do at home." -- Northwestern coach June Olkowski |
"They played like a Top-10 team, they're playing at home and did what they needed to do to take us out of our rhythm," Northwestern coach June Olkowski said.
After losing by 16 and 57 points the last two times they played Purdue, the Wildcats were competitive for most of the game. They only trailed by a point at halftime and got within 10 with six minutes left in the game.
A fast start had plenty to do with it.
Northwestern, which has lost 10 straight, was rolling early, shooting 75 percent from the field, making three 3-pointers and leading by nine. They finished the first half shooting 62 percent.
"We made shots, we took care of the ball and rebounded decently," Olkowski said.
Purdue withstood the sharp shooting with a late charge.
Jones started ignited a 21-9 rally by hitting two straight 3-pointers, as the Boilermakers regained the lead late in the second half.
"It was bad, as simple as that," Valek said of Purdue's first-half effort. "We came out there and basically they controlled the tempo.
 Carol Duncan fights for position in the Boilermakers' win over Northwestern.  | |
"Whenever you let a team come into your home court and take advantage of you like that, it was very embarrassing. We had to refocus in the second half."
Purdue took a 33-32 lead into halftime, but that wasn't good enough for coach Kristy Curry.
"I'm not sure I was ever so disappointed since I've been here in a first half ever," said Curry, in her fourth season. "We were very uncharacteristic."
The Boilermakers reverted to form early in the second half.
Purdue opened on a 14-0 run, with Jones hitting two 3-pointers and getting points off three early steals. The Boilermakers eventually stretched their lead to 15 points.
Northwestern turned the ball over 18 times and went 5-for-6 from the free-throw line. Purdue had only nine turnovers and made 22 of 34 free throws.
The Boilermakers also outrebounded Northwestern 32-20.
The Wildcats though, pulled to 59-49 with 5:57 left after a 3-pointer by Ifeoma Okonkwo. At that point, the Wildcats were shooting 54 percent (19-for-35) despite entering the game 10th in the Big Ten in field-goal percentage.
They finished 3-for-9, however.
A steal by Missy Taylor led to a layup by Valek to begin the rout, as the Boilermakers closed the game with a 15-7 run.
"In the second half, Purdue came out like a Top-10 team," Olkowski said. "That's what they're supposed to do at home."
Sarah Kwasinski led the Wildcats with 16 points.