Women's basketball - Purdue beats SEMO 83-57 for fourth straight win
Purdue's winning ways continued on Wednesday evening, as Katie Gearlds and the Boilermakers notched a 83-57 win over Southeast Missouri State in Mackey Arena. The Boilermakers secured their fourth straight victory since a winless trip to the Bahamas during Thanksgiving week.
Katie Gearlds and company have found their groove, albeit against inferior competition, since getting off to a rocky start to the year. The Boilermakers will put their winning streak on the line next time out against Minnesota in the Big Ten opener on Sunday afternoon.
Purdue got off to a slow start offensively against SEMO, starting the game just 2-8 from the field before settling in at home. Caitlyn Harper, Abbey Ellis and Madison Layden got buckets on three straight possessions to give the Boilermakers a 13-4 lead at the 5:08 mark of the first quarter.
After the scoring slowed down a bit, freshman McKenna Layden came in to knock down her first three since November 26th against Southern Indiana.
Jayla Smith had a pair of layups in the final two minutes of the quarter to help maintain the double-digit lead for the Boilermakers. Smith dropped six points in the first frame, which is something she's only reached in three total games this season.
Six different Boilermakers scored in the first ten minutes, as Purdue shot 50% from the field as a team, including 3-4 from three-point range.
Caitlyn Harper got things going in the second quarter, scoring on three straight possessions down the floor, including a connection from beyond the arc as Purdue took a 15-point lead at the 8:33 mark of the second quarter. Harper had a game-high 11 points in the first half to pace the Boilermakers going into the break.
Another veteran, senior Madison Layden, also showed out in the first half. Layden had ten points of her own in the first 20 minutes, seven of which came in the final 3:41 of the half. Purdue went on an 8-0 run to close the first half and took a 47-24 lead into the break.
That run leaked into the second half as Purdue scored the first ten points of the third quarter behind four from Caitlyn Harper and a pair of three-pointers by Abbey Ellis and Madison Layden. After the run, the Boilermakers held a 57-27 advantage with 5:53 to play in the third quarter.
Purdue did not connect on a field goal in the final 3:47 of the quarter, shooting just over 30% from the field despite the fast start out of the break. SEMO closed the third quarter by going on an 8-0 run themselves, but still trailed by 24 heading into the final frame.
The Boilermakers coasted to the blowout win, outscoring SEMO in the fourth quarter to close things out inside Mackey Arena.
It was another day of sharpshooting from the perimeter for the Boilermakers on Wednesday, shooting 40% from three-point range on the day, which was a jump from their 30% clip coming into the game.
Turnovers, which have been an issue for Katie Gearlds' team in losses, were kept to a minimum as well. Purdue coughed it up just ten times to SEMO, resulting in just four points off turnovers. On the flip side, the Boilermakers forced 17 turnovers from SEMO to held guide the victory.
The veteran duo of Madison Layden and Caitlyn Harper was the driving force behind Purdue's lopsided victory, both having strong performances for the Boilermakers on Wednesday.
Harper shined after arguably her worst performance as a Boilermaker last time out against Valparaiso, being held scoreless with four turnovers in the blowout victory. The sixth-year senior had a season-high 22 points on 9-13 shooting from the field, adding in five rebounds in the victory.
Layden also put together a strong showing in her own right, continuing her recent hot streak for the Boilermakers. She dropped 16 points on 6-12 shooting and 4-8 from three-point range.
While she didn't have a huge impact in the scoring department, Jeanae Terry did what she does best, posting another double-double without points on Wednesday. Terry finished with ten points and 11 assists while having the top plus/minus in the game of 34.
Abbey Ellis and Mary Ashley Stevenson were the other two Boilermakers to finish in double-figures in the win, as Ellis extended her streak of 10 or more points to nine straight games to start the season. Stevenson nearly had her second-career double-double, posting 11 points and seven rebounds.
Purdue was also able to brush off SEMO with ease without of its top scorers, as freshman Rashunda Jones was held out of the win with an undisclosed ailment. That came on the heels of Jones putting together a career-high scoring output against Valparaiso on Sunday.