EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Purdue women's basketball team suffered a 68-56 loss at Michigan State on Wednesday, falling to 15-5 overall and 6-3 in Big Ten play. The Boilermakers didn't have a player score in double-figures for the first time all season, while the Spartans outscored Purdue in the paint 38-16 to improve to 15-4 overall and 6-2 in the Big Ten.
The Boilermakers hit their first shot of the game as sophomore Bree Horrocks drained a long jumper from the top of the key for a 2-0 lead, but it would prove all downhill from there for the visitors. Foul trouble forced Horrocks, seniors April Wilson and Torrie Thornton and junior Andreona Keys to the bench early and the Spartans capitalized by stretching the lead to 20-11 after the first and 37-24 at the half. Juniors Aerial Powers and Tori Jankoska paced Michigan State with 15 and nine points, respectively.
MSU came out hot in the second half, building a 20-point cushion and riding it home down the stretch. Wilson, who played a season-low 20 minutes, went to the sideline 30 seconds into the fourth and final quarter, and did not return for the Boilermakers. The Spartan lead pushed out to 26 at one point, Purdue's largest deficit in any game this season, but the Boilermakers closed hard, finishing on a 16-2 run.
Thornton, junior Ashley Morrissette and freshman Dominique McBryde each scored nine points for Purdue, while McBryde added seven rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Freshman Nora Kiesler added eight points, six rebounds and three blocks for the Boilermakers, while Andreona Keys grabbed a team-high eight boards.
Powers led all scorers with 25 points, while Jankoska finished with 16 points and five assists. Sophomore Branndais Agee was the third Spartan in double figures with 11 points, while three different MSU players grabbed eight rebounds.
The Boilermakers look to bounce back Saturday, staying on the road at Penn State at 2 p.m. at the Bryce Jordan Center.