NCAA Women's NCAA Tournament Play-In Quick Wrap - Purdue, St. John's

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Lasha Petree's 10 fourth quarter points helped Purdue fight back from trailing by as much as 15 in the second half, but it wasn't enough to overcome Jayla Everett and the St. John's Red Storm.

Everett's last second floater from the baseline gave St. John's a 66-64 victory over Purdue in the #11 seed play-in game in the women's NCAA Tournament.

Purdue's return to March Madness looked like it was going to go out early with St. John's punishing Purdue in the third quarter and building a 15 point lead on 11 of 23 shooting from beyond the arc for the game, but Purdue's defense rallied and Petree got hot in the fourth to rally all the way back to square at 64-64.

Petree's lay up with thirty seconds remaining breathed new life in the Boilers, but Everett was able to get through two Purdue defenders and gather a lost dribble at the baseline and get a floater to go in just before the buzzer.

Caitlyn Harper was Purdue's most consistent force on offense, scoring 14 points on 7 of 11 shooting, getting inside early and often for Purdue.

But Unique Drake's four three-pointers carried St. John's in a third quarter where Purdue couldn't find clean looks.

It was Purdue's first trip back to the NCAA Tournament since 2017, and first time under Coach Katie Gearlds.

Lasha Petree drew an offensive foul on St. John’s first possession and Abbey Ellis gave Purdue an extra possession by corralling a Jeanae Terry miss, but Purdue turned the ball over and gave up an offensive rebound to St. John’s. Petree again helped force a turnover by getting a hand on a pass, but St. John’s Jayla Everett stole a pass for St. John’s on a pass to Abbey Ellis.

Purdue got away with it and a Kadaja Bailey miss would give Purdue the ball back where Petree gave Purdue and the game its first points, knocking down a three from the right wing.

St. John’s would go on a quick 4-0 run before Petree would get her second basket, hitting a floater off a drive and giving Purdue the lead back 5-4 early in the first quarter.

Purdue got the ball inside while St. Johns struggled to score. Caitlyn Harper finished a post up with a left hook to extend Purdue’s lead to 7-4 and then another with a right to go up 9-4.

Purdue stayed disciplined on defense, forcing back to back charges on St. John’s drives as they struggled to get their jumpers to fall, but Danielle Patterson got open from the wing and knocked down St. John’s first three of the game to cut Purdue’s lead to 2 with three minutes to play in the first quarter.

Purdue found Harper again and the redshirt senior finished a lefty-hook at the rim.

But St. John’s knocked down their second straight three to go down 11-10.

Purdue found Harper again. Caitlyn Harper finished the first quarter with 8 points.

But Purdue’s offense stalled at the end of the first quarter and Jeanae Terry had a costly turnover on a drive with five seconds left on the clock. Instead of ending the possession with the ball, Purdue turned it over and St. John’s took it the other way finishing the quarter with a Unique Drake lay up at the buzzer that left the game tied at 13 after one quarter.

Jayla Everett gave St. John’s the lead back two possessions into the second quarter by hitting a three off the dribble, but Madison Layden had an immediate answer for Purdue at the other end to tie the game back up.

Purdue started to have success attacking the basket. Rickie Woltman got two free throws before Lasha Petree drove to the hoop and converted an And-1 to put Purdue up 21-16 a couple minutes into the second quarter.

Danielle Cosgrove answered for St. Johns, getting an open look at the top of the key and converting, but Purdue went back to its size down low with Layden feeding Woltman for a lay up.

Purdue tried to create some separation with Jayla Smith getting free down the lane on a pick and roll and getting fouled on a lay up. She’d make the lay up but miss the freebie.

At the other end, Cosgrove would get fouled down low and make two free throws to pull St. John’s back within two, 25-23.

Waltman would get another look inside for Purdue and make a lay up, and Danielle Cosgrove would get another wide open three for St. John’s and she’d make her second three of the game to reduce Purdue’s lead to one.

Two Kadaja Bailey free throws would give St. John’s another lead with 2:33 left in the second quarter, 28-27.

Penetration would cut into Purdue’s defense after a Petree offensive foul at the other end, and Unique Drake would get an open three-point look from the corner for St. John’s.

St. John’s would lead 31-29 after Abbey Ellis got two free throws to go for Purdue after being knocked down from behind on a drive.

Drake would hit a second straight three from the left wing this time after Ellis was forced to help on a drive.

Petree responded with a quick lay up at the other end, but Drake knocked down her third straight three, this time contested from the corner to give St. John’s a 37-31 lead with just under a minute in the second quarter.

Two more Ellis free throws would cut the lead back to 4 with 41 seconds left in the quarter.

Mimi Reid would score her first basket in St. John’s last possession of the second quarter, driving by Cassidy Hardin and finishing a reverse lay up.

Purdue would fail to score to end the second quarter and would go into half trailing 39-33.

Three offensives rebounds later, and St. John's scored first in the second half the way they ended the second, with a Mimi Reid lay up.

St. John's lead grew to 41-33 a minute into the third quarter then went to 11 when Jayla Everett got a three to fall from the corner, her third three of the game.

Caitlyn Harper needed three chances at it, but grabbed her own misses and finally got a bucket to go for Purdue to get the game back to single-digits.

Jeanae Terry looked to add to Purdue's momentum with a steal and a break away lay up, but her shot went off the back of the rim and Purdue missed a golden opportunity. It led to St. John's own fast break at the other end.

Everett's two free throws would extend St. John's lead back to 11 points.

Mimi Reid hit what felt like a dagger three for St. John's as Purdue's offense struggled to get anything going on the other end of the floor.

The 14 point lead was the biggest lead of the game with half the third quarter expired.

But Jayla Smith got a steal for Purdue and streaked up court to finish the lay up, trying to spark life into her Boiler squad.

But Jillian Archer got a put back to go for St. John's just ahead of the shot clock and a Harper post basket at the other end could only cut into the lead for a possession with Jayla Everett responding with a mid-range jumper for St. John's.

After a lengthy timeout and huddle, Purdue tried to make a final push to cut the deficit heading into the fourth quarter.

Cassidy Hardin got free in the corner for Purdue and knocked down a three that pushed the game to 53-42.

With a chance to cut it to single-digits, Harper was called for a charge, and Unique Drake hit a mid-range jumper. Then Lasha Petree had the ball taken from her near mid-court and Jayla Everett got all the way to the basket to put St. John's up 57-42 with less than two minutes remaining in the third quarter.

Madison Layden hit a pull up from the top of the key for Purdue to cut the lead back to 12 points, but St. John's penetration led to another Unique Drake three from the corner.

The game was back in St. John's favor by 15.

Woltman was able to save a post pass to Jayla Smith, who caught it in the corner and drove into the paint, finishing a floater through contact and drawing a foul.

The free throw put the game at 60-48, St. John's with 37 seconds left in the third quarter.

With 8:32 left Jayla Smith got a pull up from mid-range to go and Purdue cut the lead to 10. They then forced a turnover with the press and had a chance to get the lead back into single-digits.

But Petree got blocked in the post and lost the ball.

Neither team could score over the next two minutes before Petree hit a three from the left corner, giving Purdue life, and cutting St. John's lead down to 7.

But Rayven Peeples got free on a roll and scored her first basket and drew a foul from Terry, but missed the free throw.

Petree would hit another three for Purdue in response and St. John's would lead 62-56 with just under 6 minutes to play.

Purdue found Caitlyn Harper who had her defender sealed inside and her lay up would pull Purdue within four.

At the other end, Jayla Smith blocked a drive and Purdue was off running. Petree passed ahead to Abby Ellis who was fouled from behind by Jayla Everett.

As Ellise crashed to the ground, Everett's frustration of the call got the best of her and she was called for a technical foul as well.

But a review of after the play showed Lasha Petree making accidental contact with a St. John's player and she was awarded an intentional foul that off set the technical.

Ellis would make both free throws to cut the game to two with less than four to play.

St. John's would throw an entry pass off the rim and Purdue would get the ball back with a chance to tie or take the lead. Petree would do just that, spinning in the lane and hitting a floater to tie the game at 62 with three minutes remaining.

Purdue had the chance to take the lead but Petree was blocked on a drive. Jayla Everett then gave St. John's a two point lead with a mid range jumper off a curl.

St. John's went into the last minute up 64-62.

Madison Layden was able to grab a rebound between St. John's players on a Peeple's miss and got the ball up the court to Petree who drove, stopped, kept her foot down, and hit a lay up to tie the game back up at 64-64 with 30.3 seconds remaining.

Jayla Everett would get a hand off at the top of the arc and dribble through three Purdue defenders, getting it knocked out on her second step, allowing her to gather and finish a floater on the baseline. The basket gave her 20 points on the game and St. John's the game, 66-64.

There was just .3 left on the clock after the floater.