LINCOLN, Neb. - The Purdue women's basketball team captured a much-needed 68-50 road win at Nebraska on Sunday, snapping a five-game losing streak and improving to 17-10 (8-8 B1G) on the season. Sophomore Andreona Keys stuffed the stat sheet for the Old Gold and Black, finishing with eight points, 10 rebounds, six assists, four steals and two blocks, while junior Ashley Morrissette led all scorers with 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting.
The Boilermakers did all the dirty work Sunday afternoon, outrebounding the Cornhuskers 45-26, including 17 offensive boards that led to 13 second-chance points. The Purdue defense held Nebraska to 35.2 percent (19-54) from the field and forced 17 turnovers, converting those into 19 points. Purdue posted a 34-20 scoring edge in the paint, holding Nebraska's standout freshman Jessica Shepherd to two points on 1-of-9 shooting and only five rebounds, all coming on the defensive end.
Morrissette got things cooking early for the Boilermakers, scoring 12 points in the first half, including a pair of triples, leading them to a six-point edge at the end of the first quarter and a 30-21 lead at the break. Senior Torrie Thornton had a massive impact in the early going as well, posting four points, six rebounds and a pair of blocks in the first quarter. All four of Keys' steals came in the first half, matching a career-high for the second straight game.
Things heated up for the Boilermakers in the second half as senior April Wilson came alive in the shooting column, while sophomore Bree Horrocks and freshman Dominique McBryde gave Purdue a massive boost off the bench. Wilson scored 11 of her 13 points after halftime, hitting 5-of-6 shots, and even had a couple more waived off due to Boilermaker offensive fouls away from the ball. Horrocks was a flawless 3-of-3 from the field and 2-for-2 at the free throw line to finish with eight points, grabbing five rebounds as well, while McBryde chipped in six of her eight points in the second half.
Nebraska has seven losses since moving into Pinnacle Bank Arena in 2013, and the Boilermakers now have two of those, also topping the Cornhuskers in Lincoln in 2014. Sophomore guard Natalie Romeo led Nebraska with 15 points, going 5-of-19 from the floor, while senior Anya Kalenta added 13 points and junior Allie Havers chipped in 12 points. Nebraska falls to 17-10 overall and 8-8 in conference play.
Purdue wraps up its regular season schedule this week with a pair of home games, hosting Rutgers on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. ET, and Wisconsin on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET. The Boilermakers are tied for sixth in conference standings, two games behind Minnesota and Indiana, which are tied for fourth.