UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Purdue women's basketball came back from a 17-point deficit to steal an 88-78 double-overtime victory at Penn State on Saturday, improving to 16-5 overall and 7-3 in conference play. Junior Bridget Perry put together a monster effort, scoring a career-high 27 points and grabbing 12 rebounds for her third double-double of the season, while senior April Wilson turned in 22 points, six assists and four steals.
Penn State was all over the Boilermakers in the first half, building a 17-point lead at the break on the heels of a 26-10 second quarter, 42-25. Lady Lion senior Brianna Banks lit it up from the floor, scoring 18 first half points to lead the way as Penn State turned the Boilermakers over 11 times and scored 12 points off of them.
The second half proved a different story as the Boilermakers went on the attack with their defense, limiting Penn State to just eight field goals and forcing 14 turnovers. Purdue slowly chipped away at the lead, trimming it to five by the end of the third, but PSU pushed it back to eight, 65-57, with 2:52 to play in regulation. The Boilermakers finished the fourth on an 8-0 run as Wilson scored back-to-back buckets and then Perry hit a triple to make it a one-point game with 40 seconds to play. Purdue came up with a clutch defensive stop as sophomore Andreona Keys grabbed a steal, then pulled in an offensive rebound and was fouled with 0.4 seconds left on the clock. Keys got 1-of-2 free throws to send the game to overtime.
Neither team could find the basket in the first overtime, shooting matching 1-of-7 clips from the field and doing most of their work at the free throw line. Penn State led for the whole period, holding a three-point lead with a minute to go, but junior Ashley Morrissette came up with a clutch triple with nine seconds left on the clock to force another extra frame.
It was all Boilermakers in the second overtime as they forced the issue, drew fouls and took full advantage, hitting 10-of-10 at the charity stripe. Morrissette hit another triple to start the frame, and freshman Nora Kiesler put the exclamation point on a tremendous defensive effort, blocking three of her career-high seven shots in the second overtime to seal the win. Kiesler's seven blocks ties the freshman record at Purdue set in 1988 by Donna Gill against Detroit.
Joining Perry and Wilson in double-figures were Keys and Morrissette as Keys was 7-of-11 from the floor for 17 points and grabbed eight boards, while Morrissette finished with 15.
Banks led five Lady Lions in double-figures with 22 points, while freshman Teniya Page added 15 points and five assists and Kaliyah Mitchell had a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Penn State falls to 8-13 overall and 3-7 in Big Ten play with the loss.
Purdue returns to action Tuesday, hosting fifth-ranked Maryland for a Big Ten Network game at Mackey Arena.