Purdue women's basketball picked up a second straight win with a 76-61 victory over Northwestern on Sunday afternoon.
Today's win gives Purdue its 8th Big Ten victory of the season, which is the most since the 2019-2020 season. Katie Gearlds has also matched the total win mark of 17 from last season and could improve on that with four regular season games still to be played.
The Boilermakers came out of the gates slow in the first quarter, with no field goals in the game's first three minutes. Caitlyn Harper took the lid off the basket with a layup at the 6:53 mark and got the Purdue offense going. Harper scored six points to lead all scorers in the first quarter.
Jayla Smith took a steal the length of the court for a layup, and Cassidy Hardin followed that up with a three-pointer from the wing. Harper then got to the free throw line to cap off a 9-0 run for the Boilermakers.
Northwestern was stifled by the Purdue defense early in the first quarter. The Wildcats had just four points through the first five and a half minutes of the game. The Boilermakers also forced four turnovers, turning them into six points.
After falling behind 11-4, Northwestern charged back in the final minutes of the first quarter to make it a 14-12 game after ten minutes.
During the Wildcats' run, Purdue hit a cold shooting stretch. The Boilermakers did not make a field goal in the final 5:13 of the first quarter, allowing Northwestern to get back into the game. Purdue leaned on its free throw shooting to maintain the lead, going 7-8 from the charity stripe in the first quarter.
Northwestern found a lot of success in attacking the paint against the Boilermakers. The Wildcats had 16 points in the paint in the first half and got several trips to the line after being fouled on drives.
Purdue's cold stretch did not linger into the second quarter as the Boilermakers got the offense going to close out the first half. After a layup by Northwestern to make it a one-point game, Purdue kicked it into high gear.
Cassidy Hardin showed off her knack for hitting big shots by knocking down back-to-back three-pointers, giving Purdue a five-point lead with 3:18 to play before the break. Hardin had a game-high 12 points on 4-6 shooting from three-point range in the first half.
Hardin and Caitlyn Harper teamed up to lead the way for Purdue in the first 20 minutes. The senior duo had 23 of Purdue's 35 points, with no other Boilermaker scoring more than three.Northwestern's Caroline Lau scored in the final minute of the half to make it a six-point Purdue lead going into halftime.
After allowing Northwestern to keep things close through the first 20 minutes, Purdue took control of the game in the third quarter and used its defense to do so.
Cassidy Hardin hit the second of two free throws at the 7:44 mark of the third quarter, and the Boilermakers got into their half-court press defense. Abbey Ellis forced an errant inbounds pass to the corner, giving Purdue the ball back. Jeanae Terry scooped up an offensive rebound on the following possession and scored.
Northwestern scored on the other end of the floor before Lasha Petree came back down to hit a floater in the middle of the lane. Purdue got back into its press and forced another turnover on the Northwestern inbounds pass. Petree got the steal and missed the layup, but Abbey Ellis cleaned up the mess. Ellis then knocked down a corner three to give Purdue a 10-point lead.
That 90-second stretch marked the moment the game shifted in Purdue's favor once and for all. Lasha Petree and Cassidy Hardin had layups on consecutive possessions, and the Boilermakers extended their lead to 15 halfway through the third quarter.
In the quarter, Purdue forced six Northwestern turnovers, turning them into 9 points. They also had three key offensive rebounds that ended up being five points. Purdue took advantage of the Wildcats' mistakes and made them pay.
Despite Northwestern's 6-14 shooting in the quarter, the turnovers and second-chance points proved to be too detrimental as Purdue took a 14-point lead into the final quarter. The Boilermakers ended up forcing 18 Northwestern turnovers in the game.
Purdue was able to close out the win despite several comeback attempts from the Wildcats. Northwestern cut a once 18 point Purdue lead to 10 and looked to be capitalizing on some of the fourth quarter struggles the Boilermakers have had this season.
Abbey Ellis and Caitlyn Harper combined to score 9 points in the final minutes to guide Purdue to the victory. Harper finished with a game-high 18 points on 6-11 shooting from the field and 6-8 from the free throw line. Ellis finished with 11 points and became the fourth Boilermaker to score in double-figures. She joined Harper, Cassidy Hardin and Lasha Petree in that category.
After moving to 17-7 on the season and 8-6 in conference play, Purdue has a quick turnaround. The Boilermakers will host Michigan State at Mackey Arena on Wednesday and look to sweep the season series. Purdue beats the Spartans in East Lansing on December 5th.
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