WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue women's basketball team returns to Mackey Arena to open a two-game homestand on Thursday night when it hosts Nebraska at 7 p.m. on B1G+.
Tim Newton and Jane Schott will be courtside for the Purdue Global Radio Network on 95.3 BOB FM and Purdue Stretch Internet.
GAME INFORMATION
Purdue (7-13, 0-9) vs. Nebraska (15-5, 6-3)
Wednesday, Jan. 30
Time: 7 PM
TV/Stream: B1G+
Radio: 95.3 BOB FM
Audio: Purdue Stretch Internet
Live Stats: Purduestats.com
PROMOTIONS
• Golden Ticket Game
• 50th Season Celebration Poster No. 1 Giveaway
LAST TIME OUT
Kendall Puryear finished in double figures with a team-high 10 points on the road at Illinois, as Purdue fell 74-38. Rashunda Jones dished out five assists, while Lana McCarthy posted a team-high six rebounds.
NOTES
• Nebraska owns a narrow 11-10 series lead.
• The last time the two clubs met last was in the Big Ten Tournament when Sophie Swanson matched the Purdue single-game 3-point record with seven triples.
• The first meeting between Purdue and Nebraska in 2012 went to three overtimes in the longest game in Boilermaker history (matched against Ohio State in 2013).
• Katie Gearlds and Amy Williams are the only Big Ten coaches at their alma mater. Both got their head coaching starts in the NAIA with Gearlds winning two national titles in eight seasons at Marian and Williams spending five seasons at Rogers State.
• Thursday night marks Purdue's eighth straight matchup against a team in the top 50 of the NET.
• The Boilermakers have the second hardest NET strength of schedule in the country, behind South Carolina.
• Freshman Kendall Puryear has finished in double figures in six games this year, including each of the last two.
• Puryear has given the Boilermakers a boost on the offensive end over the last five games with 7.8 points per night, second on the team, while shooting 51.4% from the field.
• McKenna Layden has averaged a team-high seven rebounds over her last four games.
• Rashunda Jones has been on a roll since returning to the starting lineup four games ago. The sophomore leads the team with 8.5 points per game at a 65.2% clip during that span.
• Jones has become Purdue's primary facilitator with 62 assists on the year, which moved her into a tie for 25th on Purdue's sophomore season assists chart.
• The Boilermakers have six freshmen and sophomores averaging 15 minutes or more per night, most in the Big Ten and tied for fourth in the nation.
• Purdue's underclassmen have combined for 31.8 points per game this season.
• McKenna Layden has knocked down 11 3-pointers since the turn of the calendar year while pulling down a team-best 5.6 rebounds.
• Destini Lombard is the lone Boilermaker averaging double figures with 11.5 points per game. The fifth year has connected 34 times from behind the arc with a 42.5% 3-point rate, nearly 20% better than final year at Stephen F. Austin in 2023-24.
• Lombard recorded her 45th steal of the season against Illinois on Monday night to move up to third in the Big Ten in steals.
• Lana McCarthy and Michigan's Olivia Olson are the lone freshmen from the Big Ten to average six points and five rebounds per game this season with a shooting clip of 45% or better and two of 24 nationally.
• Fifth year Ella Collier made her 23rd 3-pointer of the year at Illinois. She has a 38.3% clip from behind the arc this season
• The Danville, Ind., native is shooting 53% from the field, 45% from distance and 94% at the line for her career.
• Sophie Swanson sits third on the team with 22 made 3-pointers after knocking down one at Illinois. The sophomore has made 63 triples. Her 33.9% 3-point clip ranks 25th in Purdue history and 15th by a player through her sophomore season.
• The Boilermakers are the only team in the nation to face the top four teams in the AP Top 25 this season. Michigan is the only other program in the nation to face three of the four (USC, UCLA, South Carolina).
• After rejecting one shot at Illinois, Reagan Bass moved into a tie for 14th in the Big Ten with 19 blocks on the year.