Purdue ties worse start in program history with loss to SIU

The hole was just a little too big.

After falling behind by a dozen in the first quarter and as many as 14 early in the third, Purdue rallied to within one with less than four minutes left against Southern Illinois Sunday. But the Boilermakers stalled there, losing three opportunities to take the lead — back-to-back turnovers, then a missed jumper out of a timeout — and fell when they missed two would-be game-tying three-pointers in the final seconds.

The loss in Mackey Arena dropped Purdue to 1-3, tying the program’s worst four-game start with its inaugural season in 1975-76 and repeated four seasons later.

Two of Purdue’s three loses have followed similar scripts, with the Boilermakers trailing big in the opening minutes; it was 17-1 in the first six minutes vs. Maine in the opener and 15-4 to SIU (2-1) in the same span.

“No heart,” said junior Andreona Keys when asked to explain the slow starts following Purdue’s 64-61 loss. “I wish I could tell you, I don’t know.”

Purdue needs to figure it out soon or the season will be lost.

Senior Ashley Morrissette tried to carry the Boilermakers vs. the Salukis, breaking out of an early-season slump to tie her career-high with 28 points on 10-of-19 shooting. But her efforts weren’t enough.

Fellow senior Bridget Perry chipped in 10, hitting 5-of-10 shots, but the rest of the Boilermakers were collectively abysmal. Seven others combined to hit only 7-of-36 (19.4 percent), including an 0-of-10 from forward Dominique McBryde.

“We just need consistency across the board,” Coach Sharon Versyp said. “Just consistency on every single player. As a player, you don’t want to be oh-fer, you don’t want to not have a good stat line; you don’t want to turn the ball over a lot. It’s not like you’re not trying. … We’re still trying to figure each other out, but not collectively working together is my concern. That’s the biggest (issue).”

Yet, Purdue had opportunities. The Boilermakers trailed 41-27 two minutes into the second half on one of Carlie Corrigan’s four three-pointers. The SIU senior came in having hit only 2-of-17 field goals this season, averaging two points per game, but had a team-high 18 vs. Purdue.

But the Boilermakers inched back in, going on an 8-2 run at the end of the third to turn an 11-point deficit into five. A Morrissette steal and layup at 5:20 cut the margin to one, the closest Purdue had been since the center jump. It was the same a minute-and-a-half later, when Morrissette and Keys committed consecutive passing turnovers. Then, following a Purdue timeout at 1:46, Morrissette missed a jumper, a third straight opportunity lost.

“That changes the whole game,” Morrissette said of Purdue’s missed chances. “You fight back from (14) down and if we were to get over that hump, then of course we would done something different down the stretch.”’

A Morrissette driving layup brought the Boilermakers to within one again, 62-61, with 17.1 remaining, but SIU extended the margin back to three a second later on a couple free throws by Rishonda Napier.

It set up the final seconds. After a timeout, Morrissette got free on the right wing, sending up a potential game-tying three. But it missed.

“It was a great screen, great setup, great play drawn up by Coach V,” said Morrissette, who hit one of her three three-point attempts. “I’ve got to be on balance and give the shot a chance to go in.”

Purdue had one more chance, when McBryde kept the possession alive with an offensive board, eventually the ball getting to Dominique Oden in the deep left corner, but the freshman’s heave hit off the side of the backboard. It was the Boilermakers’ 11th shot of the game that didn’t draw iron, including seven such attempts in the first quarter alone.

When the Boilermakers were missing early, making only five of their first 17 shots, the Salukis took advantage, leading 20-8 toward the end of the first quarter.

“I think it’s good for us to have a start like that, just in confidence,” said SIU coach Cindy Stein, who guided the Salukis to their first win over a power 5 program since they beat Illinois in 1993. “Eight of our 12 kids are freshmen or sophomores who haven’t played a lot. We count on energy when sometimes inexperience is there, and I felt like that boost of hitting those shots, we were hitting early, that was obviously good for us.”

The Boilermakers shot less than 34 percent from the field, including just 1-of-9 from three-point range. Morrissette was great, adding seven rebounds, four assists and four steals to her 28 points in 39 minutes.

But Purdue struggled inside. Its three primary posts were 1-of-14, the only make by Nora Kiesler, with McBryde missing on all 10 of her shots, most within five feet of the hoop.

She was frustrated. After missing back-to-back attempts in the second quarter, one of them an air ball, McBryde picked up a technical, although it wasn’t clear exactly what she had done to draw the foul. Certainly, she thought she had been fouled in the previous series.

“She’s got to be tougher,” Versyp said. “Just because you don’t make your first couple shots or things get tough, you can’t let your team down and not get out of that funk. She’s played enough games that she has to get out of that funk. Hers were layups — if you’re shooting outside, it’s a little more difficult — but they’re layups and there is going to be some physicality, but her and Ae’Rianna (Harris) are 0-for-12.

“Our guards missed layups too, but that’s your bread and butter, you’ve got to be a lot better than that.”

SIU shot 38.3 percent from the field and had 16 turnovers that Purdue turned into 24 points. But the Salukis had a slight edge on the boards, and turned their 13 offensive boards into 16 second-chance points. Southern Illinois freshman Lauren Hartman had 16 boards, 13 on the defensive end.

“We knew they were going to crash the boards, that’s what we were getting prepared for them to do, because they send four people (in) and the point guard back,” Keys said. “… (Hartman) had a majority of defensive rebounds, which is us missing layups. She’s right at the basket, so they’re easy boards.”

Purdue has a quick turnaround, playing three games in three days starting Thursday in Cancun. It needs answers.

“Everybody needs to be a piece of this puzzle,” Versyp said.

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