PISCATAWAY, N.J. - The Purdue women's basketball team snapped a two-game slide Wednesday, posting a 55-42 victory at Rutgers to improve to 16-11 overall and 7-6 in Big Ten Conference play. The Boilermakers put forth an impressive defensive effort, holding the Scarlet Knights to 24.2 percent from the field and hauling in 47 rebounds, and were led by outstanding individual efforts from senior Ashley Morrissette and freshman Ae'Rianna Harris.
The Boilermakers had to overcome a slow start and sporadic shooting Wednesday, as they opened with just nine points in the first quarter and one-for-10 3-point shooting in the first half. The defense kept them in it the whole way, holding Rutgers to the lowest field goal percentage by a Big Ten opponent this season and third-lowest overall for a foe in 2016-17. Purdue surrendered just 16 points in the paint and four on the fast break, forcing the Scarlet Knights to take jump shots the majority of the night and getting back on defense to slow transition buckets.
Morrissette was solid on the offensive end all game, hitting seven-of-14 from the field and two-of-five from 3-point range on her way to a game-high 19 points. She backed up her scoring with six assists and four rebounds as the Boilermakers improved to 10-2 this season when she hits at least two 3's and dishes at least five assists.
Harris was outstanding in her fifth career start, filling in for injured sophomore Dominique McBryde. She grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds, marking the most by a Boilermaker this season and the most by a Purdue freshman since Shalicia Hurns grabbed 13 against Iowa in the 2001 Big Ten Tournament. Harris added five blocks, tying a career-high and pulling her within two of the Purdue single-season freshman record. She becomes just the third rookie in program history to post at least two games with five rejections in her inaugural year. Harris fell just shy of her first career double-double, finishing with eight points.
Fellow first-year Dominique Oden overcame a slow start to chip in 10 points and five rebounds for the Boilermakers, hitting four-of-six in the second half, while junior Andreona Keys added nine rebounds and freshman Lamina Cooper tallied seven points.
Rutgers dropped to 6-20 overall and 3-10 in conference play as junior Sharita Parker was their only player in double-figures with 11 points.
Purdue returns to action Sunday, hosting Iowa for its annual Pink Zone game at Mackey Arena at noon ET. The Boilermakers' special-edition uniforms will be auctioned off with all proceeds going to support cancer research and the Community Cancer Network.