MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Despite battling back from a 10-point deficit, a late turnover and foul sent the Purdue women's basketball team to a 60-58 road loss at Minnesota on Sunday afternoon to open Big Ten play.
Purdue (6-4, 0-1) held a four-point lead with 1:23 to play before Minnesota (8-1, 1-0) closed the game on a 7-1 run.
Madison Layden paced Purdue with a team-high 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting with four triples. Sixteen of Layden's points came in the third quarter. Caitlyn Harper was effective inside for 16 points on 7-of-11 from the floor. Abbey Ellis extended her streak of double-figures games to 10 with 10 points.
Mary Ashley Stevenson finished two points shy of her second double-double of the season, going for eight points and a career-best 11 rebounds.
Purdue shot 41.5% overall and went 7-of-17 from distance. Purdue won the battle on the boards 41-38 with Jeanae Terry and Stevenson combining for 26 on the glass. Terry was one assist shy of her second straight on-point double-double, going for seven points, 15 rebounds and nine assists.
Defensively, Purdue held the high-scoring Golden Gophers' offense in check, keeping the hosts 18.4 points below their season average while shooting just 35.8% overall. Minnesota was 5-of-19 from behind the arc. Purdue held its fifth straight and eighth overall opponent to 60 or fewer points this year.
Minnesota turned 19 Purdue turnovers into 17 points, as Purdue managed eight points on 10 Golden Gopher giveaways.
Both sides played tight defense in the first quarter as the two clubs were kept below 10 points. The Boilermakers held Minnesota to just 5-of-23 shooting and 1-of-8 from behind the arc over the opening 10 minutes, but the Boilermakers could not capitalize with just three made field goals all from Harper inside. The clubs were tied 7-7 going to the second.
Ellis gave Purdue an early 10-7 lead in the first second on a transition 3-pointer, Purdue's first of the game. Minnesota went scored 10 straight to open a 23-13 gap late into the second. Stevenson ended the drought with her first career triple. The rookie added a layup before the halftime horn to have Purdue trail 25-18 at the break.
After not scoring in the first half, Layden erupted for 16 points in the third on 6-of-6 shooting with a quartet of 3-pointers. The Kokomo, Ind., native connected on a wing 3-pointer with 4:57 to play to put Purdue ahead 33-32. Following a 6-0 run by Minnesota that put the hosts back ahead, Layden and Terry both hit 3-pointers to give Purdue a 43-38 lead going to the fourth.
Minnesota countered early in the fourth with a 9-0 run to retake the lead. Stevenson stopped the run on a mid-range jumper, and Caitlyn Harper scored four straight to level things up at 51-51 with 3:03 to play. After the Golden Gophers tied up the game at 58-58 with 13 seconds to play, Purdue's final possession ended in a turnover before a foul was called on the ensuing loose ball. Amaya Battle sank both free throws to give Minnesota the win.
NOTES
• Purdue leads the all-time series 48-25.
• Finishing with two steals, Jeanae Terry recorded her 200th career swipe.
• Terry is the only active player in the nation with 600 assists, 800 rebounds and 200 steals.
• Terry moved into sole control of ninth on Purdue's all-time assist chart with 436.
• Madison Layden moved into 11th on Purdue's career 3-point list with her 168th make from distance.
• Purdue has had a player score 10 points or more in 10 straight games to open a season for the second straight year, as Ellis joined Lasha Petree, who started the first 11 games last year in double digits.
• Already one of five freshmen in the Big Ten averaging over eight points and three rebounds, Mary Ashley Stevenson recorded her fourth straight game with seven or more boards.
UP NEXT
Purdue will renew its rivalry with Notre Dame next Sunday in South Bend. The Boilermakers will face the No. 14/12 Fighting Irish at Purcell Pavilion for a noon tip on ACC Network.