CLUTCH SHOOTING LANDS VERSYP 300th WIN
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Two vastly different shots with the same mounting pressure lifted the Purdue women's basketball team to a 56-55 win over Wisconsin on Thursday afternoon at Mackey Arena. Brooke Moore's 3-pointer with 36 second remaining gave Purdue a point advantage, before Fatou Diagne sunk the game-winning free throw with 1.1 seconds remaining.
In a game that featured eight ties and nine lead changes, neither club could create much separation. Following a 6-2 run by Wisconsin (3-9, 0-9) late in the fourth to give the visitors a two-point lead, Moore took advantage of a Diagne screen at the top of the key that gave enough space to drill a go-ahead triple for Purdue (6-6, 3-5) from beyond the men's 3-point line.
Following a layup by the Badgers with eight seconds remaining to tie the game at 55-55, Purdue's go-ahead 3-point attempt was blocked with four seconds to play. Diagne scrambled for the loose ball as the seconds ticked off, only to be fouled fighting for the loose ball with 1.1 seconds left and Purdue in the bonus. Diagne's first attempt clanged off the rim. After a few words of encouragement from teammates, Diagne's second free throw danced around before falling through for the winning point.
For her second straight game, Diagne posted a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Moore joined the redshirt senior in double figures with 12 points, nine in the second half. The Boilermakers found a way to win despite a just a 30.8% clip from the field, their first win when shooting under 35% since Dec. 6, 2015, against Dayton.
Purdue jumped out to a 14-2 lead to start the game, putting together a season-long 14-point run in the first period. Helped by four Diagne offensive rebounds, the Boilermakers flipped seven offensive boards into seven second chance points.
Defensively, Purdue held the Badgers off the scoreboard for spurts of 7:56 and 3:14 over the opening 20 minutes. While Purdue's offense could not capitalize on its strong defense, Diagne and Madison Layden combined to turn away a trio of shots in the first half to preserve a 25-20 lead at the break.
In the second half, the Badgers opened with a 20-7 run to open an eight-point lead. Layden and fellow freshman Ra Shaya Kyle kickstarted a 9-1 run to pull the game level. Despite going 3-for-19 in the fourth quarter, Purdue hit six of its eight free throw attempts, capped by Diagne in the final seconds to win the game.
D IT UP
While the offense was inconsistent at times, the Boilermakers' defense set the tone. Purdue held the Badgers to just a 33.9% field goal percentage, a season low for a Purdue opponent. Layden and Tamara Farquhar led Purdue with a pair of steals each. The Boilermakers blocked six shots, led by two apiece from Diagne and Kayana Traylor, a career-high for the latter. The defense only allowed seven second-chance points, despite 12 offensive boards for the Badgers.
300 FOR COACH V
Sharon Versyp joined the Purdue 300-wins club. The Purdue alumna, in her 15th season, is the eighth coach in Boilermaker history to amass 300 wins in any sport, a list that includes Gene Keady, Matt Painter and Dave Shondell. Already the winningest coach in program history, Versyp is 300-182 in her time back at Purdue with a 416-247 mark for her 21-year career.
QUOTE
Head coach Sharon Versyp on her 300th win…
I'm so blessed and privileged everyday to work here at my alma mater. I don't take that lightly. I work exceptionally hard. This isn't just about me. It's about all the coaches and players who have been beside me for the last 15 years. It's everybody who has been a part of this opportunity to get 300 wins at Purdue. It means a lot. It really matters. It's not a focus on individual accolades for myself. I'm very thankful, very thankful.
Head coach Sharon Versyp on Diagne's free throw…
I just told her to just get us one. She had the tougher one to hit. She was struggling at the foul line. She's a senior. She stepped up when she needed to. She played unbelievably. She had so many offensive rebounds and putbacks for us. It really allowed us to withstand that stretch in the third and grind it out.
Senior Fatou Diagne on the walkoff free throw …
It was pretty stressful. I get stressed going to the line. All my teammates came to me and said you got it. You just need one. That brought my confidence back. I knew they had my back, and that made it easier to make the shot.
NOTES
• Purdue now leads the all-time series over Wisconsin 54-20, with a 30-6 mark at Mackey Arena.
• Layden has hit a 3-pointer in 10 straight games.
• Purdue has held an opponent to single-digit scoring for a quarter in three games this season.
• Brooke Moore hit double figures for the first time since a 19-point outing at Penn State on Dec. 20.
• Farquhar notched 12 rebounds, her second game this season with double-digit boards.
• Purdue recorded 20 offensive rebounds for just the fourth time in the last six years.
• The 30.8% field goal clip was Purdue's lowest in a win in the last six years.
• Ra Shaya Kyle had a productive game with six points and seven rebounds in 11 minutes of action.
• Layden and Farquhar led Purdue with three assists each.
• Purdue held an opponent under 60 points for the second time this season and is now 196-25 in the Versyp era when opponents fail to hit 60 points.
UP NEXT
The Boilermakers will travel to No. 11 Michigan on Sunday afternoon for a 2 p.m. tip on BTN.
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