WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue women's basketball team stumbled at home Wednesday, falling to No. 21 Michigan at Mackey Arena 72-62. The Boilermakers fall to 6-5 in conference play (15-10 overall) with the loss and fall into a tie for sixth place in the Big Ten standings, while Michigan remains in third at 9-2 in conference and 20-5 overall.
The Boilermakers went back-and-forth with the Wolverines early, using steals and fast break points to build a small 12-9 lead halfway through the first quarter. Seniors Ashley Morrissette and Bridget Perry did the bulk of the early damage, getting out in transition and finishing in the open floor. The well would run dry for the Old Gold & Black as Michigan opened up an 11-0 run, taking the lead and holding it the rest of the way. Purdue slowed the run late in the quarter with buckets from Morrissette, Perry and junior Andreona Keys and trailed by four, 22-18, after the first.
Purdue kept making runs in the second quarter, but Michigan would answer each time. The Boilermakers cut it to two, only to see Michigan junior Katelynn Flaherty score five straight and push it back out to seven. Perry and freshman Lamina Cooper netted back-to-back buckets to slice it to four, but the Wolverines dropped in two more late buckets to take a 38-30 lead into the locker rooms at the half.
Michigan maintained their lead early in the third quarter, but the Boilermakers would make one last run behind the outside shooting of freshman Dominique Oden. The Purdue rookie canned a pair of triples in a 9-0 Boilermaker run, cutting the Michigan edge down to one, 48-47, with 2:56 left in the third. However Michigan stemmed the tide, holding Purdue the rest of the period without a bucket and pulling back ahead by four, 52-48, at the end of the third.
Wolverine freshman Kysre Gondrezick opened the fourth quarter with 10 straight points for Michigan and sealed up the win for the visitors. The Boilermakers just couldn't get stops in the fourth and final quarter, allowing Michigan to stretch the lead as high as 15 and escape Mackey with the win.
Perry led the Boilermakers with 15 points on six-of-eight shooting, while Keys and Oden joined her in double figures with 10 apiece. Perry tied a season-high with three steals, while Keys added five boards, four assists and two steals. Morrissette was scoreless after the first quarter, finishing with eight points, four assists and three steals, snapping a string of nine straight games in double figures.
Gondrezick scored a game-high 25 for the Wolverines, hitting four 3-pointers, while sophomore Hallie Thome added 15 points and eight boards and Flaherty finished with 13 points and five assists. Junior Jillian Dunston added 15 rebounds for the Wolverines.
Purdue heads back on the road this weekend, looking for their second win in as many years at Penn State. The Boilermakers stole a double-overtime thrilled in State College last season, 88-78.