EVANSTON, Ill. - The Purdue women's basketball team picked up its seventh straight win and improved to 3-0 in Big Ten Conference play with a 85-71 win at 16th-ranked Northwestern at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Thursday. Head coach Sharon Versyp picked up her 206th win on the Boilermaker sidelines, matching Lin Dunn for the most victories in program history as Purdue improved to 12-2 overall.
Purdue raced out to a fast start taking a 7-0 lead, but Northwestern answered with a 10-2 run of its own to take a 10-9 advantage. The two sides went back-and-forth over the next few minutes, but a steal by junior Ashley Morrissette sparked a 7-0 Purdue run to close the quarter to take an 18-13 edge at the end of the first quarter.
The Boilermakers slowly extended their lead through the second and third quarters, pushing the lead to 38-31 at halftime and stretching the advantage to 57-44 by the end of the third. Morrissette and freshman Dominique McBryde led the run in the second quarter, posting six points apiece, while sophomore Andreona Keys picked up the slack in the third with six points, two assists and two steals of her own.
Things got wild in the fourth and final quarter as Purdue outscored Northwestern 28-27 in the last 10 minutes. The Wildcats pressure forced the Boilermakers to commit nine turnovers in the quarter, but the Boilermakers cashed in 10-of-14 from the floor to maintain their lead and secure the win. Junior Bridget Perry and senior April Wilson scored eight points each, while Wilson added four assists and three steals down the stretch.
The Boilermaker defense caused major disruptions all night for the Wildcats, forcing them into a season-high 21 turnovers. Northwestern entered the game ranked second in the nation with 10.9 turnovers per game, but Wilson and Morrissette led the takeaway effort for the Boilermakers with four steals apiece, while Keys added three.
Perry finished with a career-high 21 points and nine rebounds to lead the way for Purdue, while Keys had a career-night with 18 points, nine rebounds, six assists and three steals. Morrissette turned in 14 points, six assists, three rebounds and tied a career-high with four steals, and Wilson posted 14 points, nine assists and four steals. Wilson passed Versyp on the Boilermakers' career assist record list as well, moving into ninth all-time for Purdue.
Senior Maggie Lyon and junior Nia Coffey paced Northwestern with 24 and 22 points, respectively, while junior Christen Inman added 14 points and six assists. The Wildcats fell to 12-3 overall and 1-2 in Big Ten Conference play.
Purdue returns to action Sunday afternoon against archrival Indiana at 2 p.m. in Mackey Arena with the coveted Barn Burner Trophy on the line. The Boilermakers will celebrate their alumni at the game, including Purdue Athletics Hall of Famer Katie Douglas. The first 2,500 fans will receive a Katie Douglas bobblehead figurine.