Women's Basketball: Purdue 73, No. 2 Ohio State 65
Purdue women's basketball went into Columbus and knocked off No. 2 Ohio State with a 73-65 victory on Sunday afternoon.
Katie Gearlds and the Boilermakers extend their winning streak to three, including a pair of wins over ranked teams in Illinois and Ohio State. Purdue also made some history this afternoon, defeating a top-five opponent on the road for the first time in program history.
The Boilermakers were shot out of a cannon to start the game in Value City Arena. After Ohio State took an 11-10 lead at the 5:28 mark of the first quarter, Purdue took control of the game.
The Boilermakers closed the quarter on a 17-2 run over the last 5:01. Cassidy Hardin and Abbey Ellis hit three straight threes to kickstart the run.
Hardin and Ellis were the driving force behind Purdue's hot start. The senior duo combined to shoot 7-8 from the field, including a perfect 6-6 from three-point range. Ellis and Hardin had 20 of the Boilermakers' 27 first-quarter points.
Ellis came into Sunday averaging 16 points per game over her last four outings and continued that stretch against the Buckeyes. The senior guard had 14 of her 26 points in the first half.
Caitlyn Harper and Madison Layden pitched in 7 points to help guide Purdue to 56% shooting from the field in the first quarter. The Boilermakers were also 7-9 from three-point range and took a 14-point lead into the second quarter.
Purdue's offensive outburst slowed down in the second quarter, but Katie Gearlds' group leaned on the defensive end to maintain a lead over the top-ranked Buckeyes.
Over the last three games, the Boilermakers' defense has been amongst the best in the Big Ten. On Sunday, Purdue held Ohio State under its 84.6 points per game average. That comes on the heels of keeping Minnesota and Illinois under 57 points as well.
Ohio State struggled with the 2-3 zone Katie Gearlds employed and shot just 36% from the field in the first half. Purdue has not played very much zone this season, but the Boilermakers had success with it this afternoon. The Buckeyes were only 2-12 from three-point range through the first 20 minutes.
After taking a 12-point lead into halftime, Purdue's lead began to slip away throughout the second half. The Boilermakers struggled offensively, shooting 5-17 from the field, including 0-6 from three-point range.
Ohio State stifled the Boilermakers with a full-court press that took Purdue out of its offensive flow in the second half. The Buckeyes forced nine second-half turnovers, including four from junior guard Madison Layden.
Leading scorer Taylor Mikesell broke out of her slump after being held scoreless in the first half. Mikesell had 8 of her 11 points in the third quarter for the Buckeyes to help lead the comeback.
Purdue's Jeanae Terry scored to put the Boilermakers up by 11 with over two minutes remaining in the third quarter. Then, Rebeka Mikulasikova knocked down a three to bring momentum into the fourth quarter.
The Buckeyes continued their comeback attempt in the fourth quarter as Purdue continued to struggle offensively. Ohio State started the final frame 6-10 from the field and had Purdue on the ropes. Taylor Thierry took a rebound coast to coast and tied the game at 58-58 with a layup.
After losing a once 17-point lead, the Boilermakers responded in a big way down the stretch. Purdue closed the game on a 15-7 run to finish the upset win.
Abbey Ellis and Madison Layden came up big in the final minutes of the game to guide Purdue to the victory. Layden scored seven of her 10 points in the final 3:39 of the game.
Ellis then knocked down a three with 41 seconds remaining to give Purdue a 9-point lead and put the final nail in the coffin. She capped off another excellent performance with a game-high 26 points on 9-16 shooting from the field.
The upset victory now sets up a big-time matchup next Saturday against Indiana, who will be inside the top five when the AP Top 25 poll is released on Monday. Purdue will come into the in-state rivalry game winners of its last three games, with an overall record of 15-6 and 6-5 in conference play. The Boilermakers will look to snap a seven-game losing streak to the Hoosiers when the two face off in Mackey Arena next Saturday.