Purdue may have dampened Purdue Hall of Famer Shereka Wright’s return to Mackey Arena Sunday, with a 73-55 win over Wright-coached UT Arlington

Wright returned to a legend’s welcome. The only three-time All-American in program history, she was honored with a pregame video that featured messages from former Purdue coach Kristy Curry and coach Katie Gearlds.

“Took me under her wing my freshmen year,” Gearlds said. “So it was great to honor her.”

As a senior, Wright teamed with a freshman Gearlds and Curry to form a trio that finished second in the Big Ten in 2004 and won two NCAA Tournament games.

Wright didn’t have the same success Sunday, as Purdue’s opportunistic defense did enough to support four 10-point scorers against a poor-shooting Mavericks team.

Destini Lombard finished with a double-double, which she eventually achieved after rocketing to 7 points and eight rebounds in the first quarter alone.

Purdue led for more than 38 minutes, but struggled to put the Mavericks away. In the first three quarters, Purdue won the first five minutes by more than the last five.

The Boilermakers relied at different times on midrange shooting and post scoring; it began the game with three long 2s. Lombard was the prime beneficiary from midrange, also chipping in a 3-pointer, 13 rebounds, four assists and three steals.

Purdue totaled 20 assists, the vast majority of which were converted by freshman center Lana McCarthy. McCarthy had scored only 2 points at halftime, but became the Boilers’ offensive No. 1 after.

In the third quarter, Purdue levelled up its pace, unlocking McCarthy as a threat in transition. McCarthy scored five times in five minutes, all assisted, and twice in the fast break.

After that, she kept rolling, scoring 6 in the fourth quarter.

The Boilers weren’t threatened by the Mavericks’ outside shot, watching several open 3s miss. The outcome of the rest of UT Arlington’s shots wasn’t much better – the visitors shot 31% from the field.

Purdue was a step ahead on defense. Led by sophomore guard Sophie Swanson’s four steals, the Boilers totaled 10. Assistant coach Mark Stephens reportedly called the Mavericks’ plays before they began running them.

UT Arlington was picked third in the WAC coaches poll, with one first place vote.

Sunday marked the end of a 6-game home stand for Purdue. The Boilers play next in Fort Myers, Florida, against Middle Tennessee State.