WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue women's basketball team saw its upset bid against No. 16 Indiana come up just short in front of an electric Mackey Arena on Sunday afternoon, falling 74-68.
The two clubs treated the 11,796 hand to a back-and-forth bout that featured 12 lead changed and seven ties.
For the second time this season, the Boilermakers (9-9, 2-5) put five players in double figures. Caitlyn Harper led the way with 18 points and six rebounds. The sixth-year senior connected on her 100th career triples in the first quarter.
After combining for 36 points the other night at Penn State, freshman tandem Mary Ashley Stevenson and Rashunda Jones both tallied 13 points. Madison Layden made a pair of 3-pointers to finish with 10 points, and Abbey Ellis notched her 16th game in double figures this season.
The Boilermakers worked the ball inside to score 30 points in the paint for the 10th time this season. Led by Jeanae Terry's game-high eight rebounds, Purdue won the rebounding battle 32-26. Terry grabbed half of the Boilermakers' 14 offensive rebounds that turned into 13 points.
While Purdue took 12 more shots and forced five more turnovers, Indiana (16-2, 7-1) managed to outlast the Boilermakers' effort behind 15 3-pointers at a 65.2% clip (15-23) and a pair of 20-point outings by from Sara Scalia and Chloe Moore-McNeil.
Purdue started hot with nine makes on their first 10 attempts in the first to build up a four-point lead. Jones scored the final five points of the period, as Purdue went 12-of-19 from the field and 3-of-4 from behind the arc to hold a 29-22 lead.
Stevenson extended the lead with a jumper on Purdue's opening possession of the second, before the Hoosiers chipped away to the gap, eventually taking a 39-37 lead into the break. Despite Purdue shooting 50% on the floor in the first half, Indiana connected on nine triples.
Purdue outscored the Hoosiers 17-12 in the third. Ellis capped a 7-0 run to start the period with a long-range 3-pointer from a Terry offensive rebound and assist. After Indiana went on a 10-point run to retake the lead at 51-44 with 3:09 to play, Purdue punched back with a 10-0 swing in the final 2:47 of the period. Following a defensive stand with less than 10 seconds remaining, Jones unleashed a midcourt heave that sank to give Purdue a 54-51 lead at the buzzer.
Indiana used a 10-2 run early in the fourth and five 3-pointers in the final period to pull away.
NOTES
• Purdue leads the all-time series with Indiana 55-41. Indiana retained the Barn Burner Trophy for the
• The two clubs played in front of a crowd of 11,796. It was the 13th largest crowd at Mackey Arena in program history. It also marked the first time since 2008 Mackey had two crowds over 11,000.
• Stevenson has reached double figures in nine games this season, while Jones hit double digits for the seventh time.
• Purdue's 29 points in the first quarter were the second most in an opening frame this season, following a 35-point effort against Southern Indiana.
• Terry recorded at least five rebounds and assists for the 10th time this year, tied for fourth in the nation.
• Ellis has made a game in each of the last seven games.
• Layden moved into a tie with Stephanie White for eighth on Purdue's all-time 3-point chart with 183 career triples.
• Terry became the eighth player in Purdue history to amass 470 assists in West Lafayette, reaching 475.
UP NEXT
The Boilermakers will hit the road for Michigan State on Wednesday night, starting at 6:30 p.m. on B1G+.