RIVIERA MAYA, Mexico - The Purdue women's basketball team picked up where the men's team left off Wednesday night, dealing Wichita State a 86-49 loss on the opening day of the 2016 Cancun Challenge on Thursday afternoon. The Boilermaker women shot a blistering 51.7 percent from the field, and held the Shockers to just four points in the fourth quarter as they improved to 2-3 on the season.
Freshman Dominique Oden set the tone early for the Boilermakers, draining her first two 3-point shots of the game as she went on to a career-high 23 points on 7-of-9 shooting, including 4-of-6 from behind the arc. The rookie posted her third double-figure scoring game in five contests this season, in addition to dishing a pair of assists and grabbing one steal in 28 minutes.
Oden was one of four Boilermakers in double-figures, joined by senior Bridget Perry, junior Andreona Keys and sophomore Dominique McBryde. Perry and Keys had 13 each as Keys was 6-of-9 from the field, while Perry hit 9-of-10 at the charity stripe. Both had five rebounds apiece, while Perry added three assists, two blocks and a steal. McBryde narrowly missed a double-double, finishing with 11 points and nine rebounds in 28 minutes.
Senior Ashley Morrissette played a key role in the Boilermakers early success leading them out to a 21-9 edge after the first quarter and a 48-25 lead at the half. She dished out seven assists in the first 20 minutes and extended her 3-point shooting streak to 18 consecutive games with a trifecta.
The Boilermakers made the most of their opportunities across the board Thursday, outscoring the Shockers in the paint, 38-22, off turnovers, 29-7, and on second-chance points, 14-8. Purdue kept Wichita State in check on the boards, 38-26, and grabbed 14 offensive rebounds. The Boilermakers also cashed in at the free throw line, converting 18-of-22 at the stripe. Purdue's defense ruled the day, holding the Shockers to multiple stretches of more than five minutes without a bucket.
Wichita State was led by sophomore Rangie Bessard, who finished with 12 points and six rebounds, while senior TaQuandra Mike added 11 points off the bench as the Shockers dropped to 1-3 on the year.
Purdue is back in action tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. ET, facing Northeastern for the first time in program history. The Huskies fell to Stanford in their first tournament game, 74-45.