Box Score / Notes / Photo Gallery
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue women's basketball team picked up its third straight win and improved to 8-2 Sunday at Mackey Arena, posting a 73-63 victory over visiting Ball State. Senior April Wilson and junior Ashley Morrissette each poured in 20 points as the Boilermakers beat their intrastate rival for the 15th straight time and 18th time in series history.
Once again it was the Boilermaker defense that set the tone, forcing 20 Ball State turnovers and limiting the Cardinals to 23 first-half points. The final difference was decided at the free throw line as both teams came into Sunday in the top-20 in the nation at the charity stripe. The Boilermakers cashed in 20-of-22 on the day, including a 7-of-7 performance by Morrissette and a 5-of-5 showing by sophomore Andreona Keys, while Ball State entered the day ranked second in the nation at 79.3 percent, but made just 8-of-14 attempts (.571).
The Boilermakers struggled from the field early, shooting just 26.3 percent (5-19) in the first quarter, but still managed to get out of the frame with a 12-8 lead as they forced the Cardinals into 9 first-quarter turnovers. Both sides got things cooking in the second quarter, as the Boilermakers knocked down 50 percent (7-14), while Ball State hit 6-of-15 (.400) as Purdue bumped its lead to 29-23 at the half. Morrissette had eight first-half points while Wilson balanced out the box score with seven points, four rebounds, three assists and four steals. Freshman Nora Kiesler gave the Boilermakers a solid boost in the second quarter, scoring five points and grabbing three boards.
Ball State shot a blistering 57.1 percent in the second half (16-28), but could never get over the hump. They pulled within a few points twice in the third, but every time they got close Wilson or Morrissette would answer for the Old Gold and Black. Ball State opened the third on a 5-2 spurt to make it 31-28, but Wilson would answer hitting back-to-back threes and then stealing the ball and feeding Morrissette for an and-one finish. A 7-0 Cardinal run knifed the Purdue lead to 47-43 with 1:14 left in the third, but a foul-ridden Morrissette hopped off the bench to score five straight, and senior Hayden Hamby canned a pair of free throws to make it 54-44 going to the final quarter. Wilson and Morrissette teamed to score 18 of Purdue's 25 third-quarter points.
The Boilermakers were solid down the stretch, answering every Cardinal made bucket and committing zero turnovers in the final frame. Keys was especially clutch in the fourth, scoring seven of her nine points, shooting 2-of-2 from the field and 3-of-3 at the free throw line. Wilson was perfect from the floor as well, canning all three of her attempts in dramatic fashion late in the shot clock.
In addition to her 20 points, Wilson chipped in four rebounds, five assists and a season-high five steals, while Morrissette bolstered her 20-point effort with a career-high seven rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals. Keys finished with nine points, five rebounds and two assists, while Kiesler added five points, five rebounds and a blocked shot. The Boilermakers' bench was especially solid, combining for 17 points and zero turnovers on the day. Purdue committed just nine turnovers as a team, marking their fewest this season and their least since Feb. 9, 2014 at Michigan (six).
Ball State senior Nathalie Fontaine had a huge game in the loss for the Cardinals, finishing with 26 points and nine rebounds, hitting 11-of-21 from the floor. Junior teammate Renee Bennett was a perfect 6-of-6 from the field as the Cardinals became the first Purdue opponent to top the 60-point scoring plateau in regulation this season. Ball State falls to 6-3 on the season.
The Boilermakers have one more game before the holiday break, hosting Maine on Monday, Dec. 21 at 7 p.m. in Mackey Arena. Purdue head coach Sharon Versyp had a five-year coaching stint with the Black Bears from 2000-to-2005, where she won 98 games and to Maine to the 2004 NCAA Tournament.