Purdue battles No. 11 Stanford before fading late
After finding its offense in the first two games in Cancun, Purdue continued that into the championship of the Challenge.
But it wasn’t sustainable, not against No. 11 Stanford, as the Cardinal pulled away from the Boilermakers (3-4) in the fourth quarter of the championship game of the Mayan division to win 78-69.
The back-and-forth game featured seven ties and 11 lead changes, before Stanford pulled away by taking advantage of a cold stretch by Purdue. The Boilermakers, who led by six in the third quarter, trailed by only two headed to the fourth, but went scoreless for more than four minutes. Meanwhile, the Cardinal went on a 7-0 run for a 68-59 lead with 5:41 remaining.
The Boilermakers battled back, getting to within three several times, the last on Ashley Morrissette’s basket at 2:24, but they couldn’t get closer.
Morrissette led Purdue with 23 points on 6-of-15 shooting, plus added eight rebounds, while Bridget Perry had 16, including four three-pointers. Both Boilermakers were on the all-tournament team.
Dominique Oden scored 11, including nine in the first half, when the Boilermakers led 42-39.
Purdue was solid from the start, much like it had been in previous Cancun victories against Wichita St. and Northeastern. Saturday, the margin was six two minutes into the third quarter, after Morrissette scored five straight points, the last on a three-pointer. But five minutes later, it was tied for the final time, at 55.
The Boilermakers shot 44.2 percent with 14 turnovers that Stanford (6-1) turned into 21 points. The Cardinal hit 50 percent from the field and were led by Brittany McPhee’s 22 points, with Karlie Samuelson adding 20, including six three-pointers.
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