March 3, 2011
INDIANAPOLIS - The Purdue women's basketball team survived a strong effort by Indiana in the first round of the Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament, winning 66-62 to advance to a quarterfinal matchup with No. 2 seed Penn State at 11:30 a.m. on Friday.
Junior Brittany Rayburn scored 15 points in the second half, including four free throws in the final 20 seconds to bring Purdue back from an eight-point deficit with 10:06 to play. Purdue cut into the deficit at the 10 minute mark by putting together a 7-0 run to make it 50-49. The scoring went back and forth from there, until an 8-0 run by the Boilermakers gave them the lead for good. Rayburn sealed the victory by hitting all four of her free throws in the closing seconds.
Purdue improves to 20-10 on the season and 31-9 in Big Ten Tournament games. The Boilermakers extended their win streak against the Hoosiers to five games and their record against them in Big Ten Tournament games to 5-2.
The Boilermakers got on the scoreboard first on a layup by Drey Mingo but the Hoosiers' Andrea McGuirt responded with a three-pointer to give Indiana a 3-2 lead. It was a precursor of things to come as there were 10 lead changes and four ties in a tightly contested first period, eight ties and 16 lead changes overall. Mingo led all scorers with 12 first-half points that included two three-pointers.
Purdue had a 32-26 lead at the break despite committing nine turnovers. Fortunately for the Boilermakers, they forced the Hoosiers into 10 miscues and held them to 35.7 percent shooting.
The second half started with the two teams trading baskets on the first few possessions before the Hoosiers went on a 7-0 run to retake the lead at 37-36. Mingo hit a three-pointer to regain the advantage, but Indiana responded with a 9-0 run to pull ahead 46-39. The Hoosiers would later push the margin to eight points at 50-42 at 10:06 in the game. Dee Dee Williams made one of two free throws and then Rayburn scored six-straight points for Purdue to cut the margin to one at 50-49.
With 7:11 remaining, Purdue retook the lead 53-52 on two free throws by Rayburn but on the ensuing defensive possession, Courtney Moses committed her fifth personal foul and Aulani Sinclair made both her free throws. Following a missed shot by Chantel Poston, Whitney Lindsay nailed a three-pointer to push the IU advantage to 57-53.
The teams would trade long range shots as Rayburn hit a fade-away three-pointer followed by a triple by Sinclair with 5:28 to play and the score 60-56.
A layup in transition by Mingo cut the lead to 60-58. A Purdue stop followed by a Poston layup tied the game for the eighth time in the contest. With a 1:12 to play, Mingo hit a shot in the paint to pull ahead 62-60. Two free throws by Rayburn with 20 seconds to play, followed by two free throws by Indiana's leading scorer, Jori Davis and finally two free throws by Rayburn finished out the scoring.
Rayburn led all scorers with 23 points. She also had four rebounds and two steals in the win. Mingo recorded 21 points, six boards, three assists, two blocks and three steals.
Davis paced the Hoosiers with 21 points while Lindsay contributed 12 points and Sinclair 10 points.
The No. 7 seed Boilermakers will face No. 2 seed Penn State at 11:30 a.m. ET on Friday at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.