Women's Basketball: Purdue 77, Indiana State 54 - Game Recap
Purdue women's basketball outlasted in-state rival Indiana State to get a 77-54 win at Mackey Arena on Sunday afternoon.
The Boilermakers picked up a fourth straight win to wrap up their homestand before heading down to Mexico for the Cancun Challenge next week.
Purdue struggled out of the gates with Indiana State's defensive intensity. Katie Gearlds had high praise for how the Sycamore's were able to disrupt Purdue's offense early in the game.
"I thought their activity off the ball was really good. [They] were big in gaps, I thought they were down in a stance and really physical… Honestly, that's probably the best team we've played so far." Gearlds said.
In the opening minutes, Purdue had several turnovers as a result of the Sycamore's defensive pressure. The Boilermakers were sped up offensively and made mistakes pushing the ball. Purdue found themselves down 21-20 after the first quarter.
Leading scorer Lasha Petree was limited to 5 minutes in the first half after picking up a pair of early fouls. Purdue's offense was affected by the absence of their go-to option and best creator off the dribble.
"[We] didn't really have anybody to get to the paint who could score, and that's what Lasha does." Katie Gearlds said.
Amidst the struggles in the first half, Cassidy Hardin provided a spark off for Katie Gearlds. Hardin scored 12 points in the half and had 9 of the team's 15 total points in the second quarter.
"Who she is; is everything about Purdue… She loves doing whatever it takes for her team to win," Katie Gearlds said of Hardin. "She's done what she's supposed to do for Purdue to win, and that's all you can ask for."
Led by Hardin, Purdue finished the first half on a 10-3 run and took a 35-31 lead into halftime.
Coming out of the break, Purdue showed a lot more fight. The Boilermakers started the third quarter on a 10-0 run to open up a 14-point lead at the 6:08 mark of the quarter.
Purdue had a balanced attack offensively in the third quarter, as six Boilermakers scored. Ava Learn stepped up to score 4 of her season-high 8 points in the quarter in a more expanded role today.
Learn and Rickie Woltman worked well for Katie Gearlds in the second half when Caitlyn Harper struggled. Learn, and Woltman brought a different dynamic off the bench as two post players, with Caitlyn Harper being the lone post player surrounded by long guards in the starting lineup.
Defensively, Purdue improved in the third quarter as they held Indiana State to just 3-16 shooting from the field and forced eight turnovers. The Boilermakers outscored the Sycamores 21-7 in the quarter to go into the fourth quarter with a 19-point lead.
The Boilermakers continued their strong second half in the fourth quarter as they began the final quarter on an 18-3 run. Lasha Petree was the catalyst behind the run, scoring 10 of her 17 total points in the quarter. Purdue was able to coast down the stretch on their way to a 23 point win.
After Cassidy Hardin led the Boilermakers with 18 points today, Purdue has now had four different leading scorers in their four games this season. That list includes Caitlyn Harper, Lasha Petree, Abbey Ellis, and now Hardin.
Purdue had four players in double-figures today, Hardin, Petree, Jayla Smith, and Madison Layden. The Boilermakers have also had four different double-digit scorers in three out of their first four games.
The Boilermakers will fly down to Mexico to participate in the 2022 Cancun Challenge this coming week. Purdue is in the "Mayan Division" and will play a three-game round-robin against Harvard, Florida State, and Oklahoma State starting on Thanksgiving day.