Dec. 28, 2004
By JON KRAWCZYNSKI
AP Sports Writer
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Katie Gearlds scored 24 points and Erin Lawless added 17 and nine rebounds Tuesday night to help No. 20 Purdue escape with a 57-50 win over South Dakota State.
The Jackrabbits (9-4) gave Purdue all it could handle at Mackey Arena, but Gearlds scored eight of the Boilermakers' final 11 points to save them from what would have been a stunning upset.
Clinging to a 46-45 lead with less than five minutes to play, Gearlds knocked down two mid-range jumpers and hit four free throws to break the Jackrabbits' three-game winning streak.
Sarita DeBoer scored 11 of her 13 points in the second half for South Dakota State, which is in its first season in Division I.
Both teams had trouble holding on to the ball in a sloppy game. South Dakota State had 29 turnovers, while Purdue had 26.
The Jackrabbits never led, but consecutive layups by Shannon Schlagel and Megan Vogel brought them within two with just under 13 minutes to play.
But Gearlds took over, scoring seven straight points for Purdue, including a three-point play that pushed Purdue's lead to 42-37 less than two minutes later.
The feisty Jackrabbits wouldn't go away, making seven 3-pointers in the game to Purdue's one to stay close throughout.
Heather Sieler knocked down a 3-pointer and Schlagel hit two free throws to tie the game at 45 with under six minutes to play.
But the newcomers to Division I just couldn't come up with the big shots or stops down the stretch to stay with what has been one of the top college programs in the country for the last 10 years.
Gearlds responded with her spurt, and the closest South Dakota State would get was 53-50 on Schlagel's 3-pointer with 31 seconds left.
It was the first of six straight road games for South Dakota State, which includes trips to Oklahoma State and Alabama.
Schlagel finished with 12 points and seven rebounds for the Jackrabbits, who shot just 33 percent, but outrebounded the taller Purdue front 39-33.