WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Playing its third straight game against a ranked opponent, the Purdue women's basketball team dropped its Thursday afternoon contest against in-state foe No. 18 Indiana 66-45 at Mackey Arena.
The Boilermakers (5-5, 2-4) held their own against preseason Big Ten favorites for three quarters, outscored by just four, but a 20-3 second period gave Indiana (8-3, 6-1) enough of a cushion to keep Purdue at a distance.
Purdue opened the game strong, taking an early 12-8 lead in the first. Madison Layden hit a three to go with a pair of Tamara Farquhar field goals, as Purdue shot 38% in the first to tie it at 12-12.
Kayana Traylor converted a traditional 3-point play early in the second to knot the score at 15-15, but the Hoosiers then went on a 20-point run that carried into the third, establishing a 35-17 lead.
The Boilermakers attempted to scratch back in the second half, shooting 48% for the final 20 minutes. Brooke Moore knocked down a pair of triples, while Cassidy Hardin converted another 3-pointer in the third. Purdue trimmed its second-half turnovers down to four and recorded eight of its 13 assists in the final period.
NOTES
• Purdue leads the all-time series against Indiana 55-35.
• Fatou Diagne finished with a career-high four assists.
• The Boilermakers won the rebounding battle and turned eight offensive boards into seven points.
• Traylor led the team in scoring with eight points, just her second game until double digits this season.
• Tamara Farquhar tallied four rebounds, split evenly on both ends of the floor.
• Ra Shaya Kyle turned away two shots and pulled down five rebounds in a career-high 20 minutes on the floor
• Madison Layden went 1-for-3 from behind the arc. The freshman has made a 3-pointer in each of the last eight games.
• Karissa McLaughlin played a season-high 33 minutes, totaling seven points and three assists.
• Purdue's three-game stretch against ranked opposition is its first since the 2000-01 season.
UP NEXT
Purdue will travel to Iowa on Monday afternoon for a 4:30 ET tip on BTN.
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