Box Score / Notes / Photo Gallery
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Senior April Wilson posted 19 points and 10 assists Thursday night to lead the Purdue women's basketball team to a 62-51 victory over visiting Illinois-Chicago in Mackey Arena. The Boilermakers improved to 2-0 for the 24th time in school history, while the Flames suffered their first loss of the season and fell to 2-1.
Wilson had a hand in 18 of the Boilermakers' 23 first-quarter points, scoring 10 herself and dishing out four assists in the 10-minute period. She and junior teammate Ashley Morrissette each knocked down a pair of 3's as Purdue was 4-of-8 from behind the arc and raced out to a 23-12 lead. The Boilermakers' big first-quarter lead proved key in the victory as both sides struggled to score over the second and third periods.
The Boilermakers made just 3-of-19 in the second quarter and 3-of-11 in the third, but still managed to hold a 43-34 edge after three quarters. The Purdue defense limited the Flames to no more than six field goals in a quarter, and converted 17 UIC turnovers into 21 points for the game.
"Our defense is why we won this game," said Purdue head coach Sharon Versyp. "We did a great job forcing them to take tough shots and make mistakes, and then capitalized when they did."
The Purdue offense came back alive in the fourth quarter, facilitated by Wilson, sophomore Andreona Keys and freshman Nora Kiesler. Wilson had a slick and-1 finish and dished out five assists to secure her second career double-double. She's now tied for fourth in school history with Cindy Lamping, Stephanie White and Katie Douglas for career double-doubles with points and assists. Keys had five of her eight points in the final quarter, while Kiesler had five of her seven in the final frame as the Boilermakers made 7-of-11 from the field (.636).
Wilson committed just one turnover alongside her 10 helpers, and her two steals made her the 12th player in school history to compile 300 career assists and 150 career steals. Morrissette joined her in double-figures with 11 points, while Keys finished with eight and Kiesler and junior Bridget Perry had seven points each. Senior Torrie Thornton matched a career-high with nine rebounds, adding two assists and two blocks in the win.
UIC senior Ruvanna Campbell had a memorable night for the Flames, tallying a game-high 23 points and 17 rebounds for her 51st career double-double, good for third among active NCAA Division I players. She finished 9-of-20 from the field, while the rest of her counterparts were a combined 11-of-39. The Boilermakers held the Flames' leading scorer, Kendyl Nunn, to just four points, all of which came in the fourth quarter.
Purdue ships out to Jacksonville, Florida tomorrow for its first and only road game of the non-conference slate, set to face North Florida on Saturday. The Osprey are 1-2 on the season, earning their first victory over Webber International earlier today at UNF Arena 72-60. The game will be webcast live via ESPN3, scheduled to start at 3 p.m.