WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – A blocked shot at the buzzer saw the Purdue women's basketball team's comeback bid against Wisconsin come up short in a 63-62 loss in the regular season finale at Mackey Arena. The Boilermakers finish the regular season with a 16-13 record overall and 8-10 in the Big Ten.
Purdue roared back from a double-digit halftime deficit, scoring 39 points in the second half including seven of its nine 3-pointers. The Boilermakers tied the game at 48-48 with 8:14 to play in the fourth quarter, before Wisconsin (8-20, 5-13) jumped back in front. Jeanae Terry weaved through the defense to give the Boilermakers a 62-61 lead with 13 seconds remaining, only for Halle Douglas to put the visitors back in front on a layup with six seconds left.
Terry, who already recorded two game winners this season, saw her contested layup at the horn blocked by Julie Pospisalova.
The Boilermakers honored seniors Brooke Moore, Rokia Doumbia, Ajah Stallings and Nyagoa Gony, all of whom made their first starts of the year, in a postgame ceremony. The quartet totaled 11 points, three rebounds, three steals and two assists in their final regular season game at Mackey Arena.
Abbey Ellis and Cassidy Hardin powered Purdue with 14 points each. Ellis went 5-of-12 from the field with four rebounds and assist and four steals, while Hardin knocked down a quartet of triples. Rickie Woltman joined the duo in double figures with a 10-point outing.
The Boilermakers shot 34.4% from the field to Wisconsin's 47.4% clip. Purdue turned 18 Badger turnovers into 16 points, while the visitors converted 12 Boilermaker giveaways into 16 points.
The seniors put Purdue on the board early with a triple from Doumbia and a layup by Gony to take a 5-2 lead. The Boilermakers hit a rough patch shooting, going one for their next 12 to close the opening frame.
The Boilermakers started to find their rhythm in the second quarter shooting 50% in the period. Rickie Woltman gave Purdue a spark with six points in a row. Wisconsin countered every Purdue spurt, knocking down five of their final seven shots of the half to take a double-digit lead into the break.
Out of halftime, Hardin brought Mackey to its feet with an early triple to cut the gap to 10. After Wisconsin opened the deficit to 14 points, Purdue rolled off a 14-2 run in 2:11 to pull within two.
Hardin, Ellis and Moore tied the game for the Boilermakers with eight straight points to start the fourth. Wisconsin regained the lead until the final minute, but Purdue kept it within a two-possession game until the end.
Purdue committed just four turnovers during their comeback bid in the final 20 minutes, while forcing the Badgers into 11 giveaways.
NOTES
• Purdue leads the all-time series with Wisconsin 54-21 with a 30-6 mark at home.
• The Boilermakers finished with 17 assists, topped by six from Madison Layden.
• Sunday marked the third start of Stallings' career, the second for Gony, first for Doumbia and 36th for Moore.
• Purdue pushed the pace for 18 fast break points, its second highest total this year.
• Hardin finished the regular season with 73 3-pointers, good for third most by a senior and fifth overall in single-season history.
• Terry claimed the team rebounding title with 200 boards this season. She is the first guard to lead the team in rebounding since Katie Douglas in 1999.
• Terry also reached 166 assists this season, good for fifth in program history.
UP NEXT
Purdue will head to Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis for the 2022 Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament this week. A full bracket with game times will be announced by the Big Ten Conference later.