WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – 3.9 seconds on the clock, and Jeanae Terry called bank and game.
Driving the middle of the lane, pulling up and letting a floater go off the backboard and through the rim, Terry lifted the Purdue women's basketball team to a 53-52 win over Georgia Tech in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge on Wednesday night at Mackey Arena.
The two clubs battled back and forth with seven lead changes and six ties throughout the 40 minutes.
After Purdue (6-2) took a seven-point lead early in the fourth quarter, Georgia Tech (5-2) rallied to take the lead with 4:39 to play. Never going down by more than one score, the Boilermakers did not allow a field goal in the final 3:07, limiting the Yellow Jackets to a trio of free throws and scoring eight unanswered points.
Following two missed free throws by Georgia Tech with 16 seconds left, Ra Shaya Kyle missed a contested layup with six seconds remaining, forcing Purdue to foul again. Again, the Yellow Jackets failed to convert on both attempts at the line, allowing head coach Katie Gearlds to advance the ball with a timeout with 3.9 seconds left.
Madison Layden inbounded to Terry. The junior from Detroit drove into the lane, leapt from the free throw line and got off a contested floater against suffocating defense. Out of her hand with 1.4 left, the ball hit at the top of the square and dropped through for Purdue's first buzzer beater since Dominique Oden's 3-pointer at Wisconsin on Feb. 13, 2020.
For Terry, easily her most productive outing as a Boilermaker, she finished with nine points, seven rebounds and seven assists. She is just the fifth Boilermaker to hit that line since the 2009-10 season.
The Boilermakers overcame a rough first half shooting and an eight-point deficit in the second half to win a Big Ten/ACC Challenge game for just the fourth time in the event's existence.
Purdue shot 35.3% from the field and only made two rebounds. Georgia Tech (5-2) dominated on the glass with a 45-27 margin in the rebounding battle. Purdue held the Yellow Jackets to 34.5% shooting and just 10 second-chance points on 14 offensive rebounds.
The Boilermakers struggled to find their offensive rhythm in the first half, battling through multiple lengthy droughts. Despite the shooting woes and foul trouble, Purdue kept the deficit to single digits. Georgia Tech's largest lead was just eight points in the first quarter.
Rickie Woltman gave Purdue a jolt with back-to-back baskets late in the second, as the hosts made their final four shots of the half to cut the gap to four.
Out of the break, the Boilermakers went on a tear offensively, scoring 20 points to Georgia Tech's 10. Abbey Ellis converted a traditional 3-point play, while Terry dished out three assists and hauled down three boards in the frame.
After carrying a six-point lead into the fourth, Purdue saw their lead slip away to a one-possession deficit, setting up Terry's heroics at the horn. Mackey was buzzing.
STAT STUFFER
Terry finished the night with nine points, seven boards, seven dimes, three steals and two blocks. It was just the 26th performance in the nation with at least that stat line over the last four years. Terry stepped up, playing all 20 minutes in the second half without committing a turnover. The junior from Detroit led Purdue in rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, field goals made and minutes played on Wednesday night.
QUOTE
Head coach Katie Gearlds on the final possession…
The possession before, we went into Shay and thought she had a good look. I told her we were coming right back to her. We set her up with a back screen, but Madison didn't feel comfortable throwing it into her, so she gave it to Jeanae. They denied it back to Madison. The last option was for JT to drive it with her left hand. It was a prayer, but it's the game of basketball. We missed a lot of open shots. She stepped up and knocked it down.
Jeanae Terry on the final possession…
On those 3.9 seconds, we wanted to get the ball into Shay and get her a post-up. She was doing a great job all night. In my head, I just wanted to get a bucket. I wanted to stay aggressive. That's what 3.9 seconds was in my head. It worked for us.
I felt good when it left my hand. I felt confident in what our coaches drew up and in myself. I was hoping it went in, so I'm grateful.
NOTES
• Purdue now leads the all-time series with Georgia Tech 3-1.
• The Boilermakers are 4-11 all-time in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
• Purdue is now 3-0 all-time when facing former Purdue head coaches, after the final-second win against Nell Fortner (Purdue – 1996-97).
• Purdue committed 13 turnovers but only gave up seven points on giveaways.
• Terry has recorded 17 assists over the last two games.
• Only Cassidy Hardin and Layden made a 3-pointer on the night, as Purdue won without making seven triples for the first time this season.
• The Boilermakers won a game scoring 55 points or less for the 15th time since the 2009-10 season.
• The four offensive rebounds tied for the third fewest in program history.
• In a tightly called game, eight of Purdue's nine players recorded a foul, with Hardin fouling out for the first time in her career.
UP NEXT
The Boilermakers will open Big Ten play Sunday when Ohio State comes to Mackey Arena.