Box Score / Notes / Photo Gallery / Highlights
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue women's basketball team opened its season with a victory for the 14th straight year Monday, defeating visiting Jacksonville State University in Mackey Arena 67-48. Sophomore Andreona Keys was a flawless 7-of-7 from the field on her way to a career-high 16 points to lead the Boilermakers to their 34th 1-0 start in school history.
Keys became just the fourth player in school history to take at least seven shots in a game and convert them all, and the first since Camille Cooper went 9-of-9 against Iowa in 2001 (Feb. 8). Keys broke her previous career-high mark of 12, which she hit twice during her freshman campaign, including the 2014 season-opener at Ball State. The Boilermaker sophomore added four rebounds and two steals in 29 minutes on the floor Monday.
The Boilermakers raced out to a 10-2 edge early, making their first four shots from the field, including and-one finishes by Keys and senior Torrie Thornton. However the run would slow for the Old Gold and Black and Jacksonville State fought its way back in, leading to a 19-13 Purdue edge at the end of the first. The Boilermakers finished the frame on a 7-0 run, including a buzzer-beater layup by senior April Wilson.
The second quarter went back-and-forth between the two teams, but the Boilermaker slowly started to pull away and built a 12-point advantage by halftime. Wilson did the bulk of the damage, scoring nine of her 13 points in the period, all coming over a two-minute stretch late. The final two points of the half came in dramatic fashion as the Boilermakers played a tip-drill to fruition as junior Bridget Perry tapped it up and in just before time expired.
The gap held in the third quarter behind a pair of threes and three assists from junior Ashley Morrissette, as she had a hand in 12 of the Boilermakers' 14 points in the period. After missing the Boilermakers' closed scrimmage and exhibition games with an injury, Morrissette was limited to 25 minutes due to foul trouble Monday, but finished with nine points and five assists, while hitting 3-of-5 from behind the arc.
Keys powered the Boilermakers home in the fourth quarter, scoring nine of her game-high 16 in the final frame and grabbing both of her steals, including an especially memorable takeaway under the Boilermakers' basket near the seven-minute mark. After Jacksonville State's Tyler Phelion pulled down a defensive board under the Purdue basket, Keys simply ripped the ball away from Phelion and put it back up for the score.
Joining Keys in double-figures were Perry and Wilson, as Perry secured her third-career double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. She's the first Boilermaker to open the season with a double-double since assistant coach Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton in 2008, and just the 12th player all-time to accomplish the feat. Wilson had five rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals to go along with her 13 points. Thornton was just short of career-high marks, finishing with seven points, five rebounds and a pair of blocks.
Jacksonville State was led by juniors Kelly Naughton and Briana Benson, who turned in 16 and 13 points, respectively, as the Gamecocks fell to 0-2. Phelion added eight points and seven rebounds as Jacksonville State converted just 18-of-52 (.346) from the field and was outrebounded 42-31.
Purdue returns to action Thursday, hosting University of Illinois-Chicago at 7 p.m. in Mackey Arena. Fans with a ticket stub from Purdue men's basketball's Wednesday night tilt vs. Incarnate Word can get tickets for just $2, and the Boilermakers will be hosting a canned food drive to support the Greater Lafayette community.
Nice win for @PurdueWBB to open the season tonight, 67-48 over Jacksonville St. #BoilerUp https://t.co/qcHK9XXMSb
-- Purdue Athletics (@PurdueSports) November 17, 2015