Purdue women's basketball kicked off 2024 on a high note, picking up a conference win over Rutgers 77-76 on Tuesday night in Mackey Arena. The Boilermakers fought off a fourth quarter comeback bid by the Scarlet Knights in the closing minutes to notch their third victory in a row. Katie Gearlds and company now move to 9-5 on the season and 2-1 in Big Ten play.
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The Boilermakers leaned on senior guard Abbey Ellis in the early going, as she had four points in the first 61 seconds of the game. After a Madison Layden jumper made it an 8-5 game, Rutgers responded with a quick 5-0 run to take the lead with just under five minutes left in the quarter.
Layden then knocked down her first three of the evening on the following possession, as the Boilermakers went on a 7-0 run of their own with Rashunda Jones connecting on two free throws and Layden getting another jumper to fall.
Purdue got some needed production off the bench in the opening frame, as freshmen guards Rashunda Jones and Sophie Swanson provided instant offense with the second unit. The rookie duo combined for the last nine Purdue points in the final three minutes of the opening frame, with Jones leading the way with seven points in the quarter.
The Boilermakers outscored Rutgers 14-4 over the last 4:47 of the first ten minutes en route to taking a 10-point lead into the second quarter.
Rutgers began making up ground in that second quarter, however. Destiny Adams and Mya Petticord combined to score the first 12 points of the quarter as the Scarlet Knights flipped the script and outscored Purdue 14-4 in the first seven and a half minutes.
Abbey Ellis had a pair of buckets to help preserve the once 12 point advantage for the Boilermakers, which shrunk to two at the 2:37 mark of the second quarter. After a pair of Sophie Swanson free throws gave Purdue a six point advantage, Jillian Huerter hit a late three to close the gap to three going into halftime, making it a 34-33 game at the break.
After a solid start, Purdue shot just 25% from the floor (4-16) and missed four free throws in the second quarter to let Rutgers back into the game. Playing a large part in that were the struggles from the front court, as Mary Ashley Stevenson and Caitlyn Harper combined for no points on 0-7 shooting, whole Stevenson was limited due to a pair of fouls in the first half.
The front court duo bounced back out of the break as the pace picked up offensively on both sides. Purdue and Rutgers traded baskets back and forth for the first five minutes of the third quarter before the Boilermakers got things going in the latter part of the quarter.
Purdue went on a 12-4 run over a less than three minute stretch to take a 13 point lead with 2:17 left in the quarter. The run was kickstarted by Stevenson and Harper and capped off by a Mila Reynolds and-one.
Stevenson and Harper combined for 13 points on 6-8 shooting after being held scoreless in the first half. The front court duo led the way for the Boilermakers, who shot a blazing 68.8% from the field en route to a 29-point quarter.
The offensive success from the Boilermakers continued to start the final frame as they went on an 8-2 run on the heels of two Destiney Adams free throws to begin the quarter. Madison Layden twice brought Purdue's lead back to 12, where it was in the first half, with the second being at the 5:41 mark of the fourth quarter.
Rutgers had more fight in it amid a three plus minute scoreless stretch by Purdue, with Adams hitting four straight free throws and Lisa Thompson also knocking down a jumper to get the 6-0 run started. That run was stopped briefly by Abbey Ellis' free throws before Rutgers put together another 6-0 sprint.
The Scarlet Knights had a chance to win it at the end after a turnover by Abbey Ellis gave Rutgers the ball back with 3.6 seconds to play. Destiney Adams missed a layup while being contested before the clock ran out.
Despite not having a field goal over the last five minutes in the final frame, Purdue got just enough out of its offense to sneak out of Mackey Arena with the victory.
