Purdue women's basketball notched its second win of the weekend, defeating in-state Valparaiso in Mackey Arena on Sunday afternoon 83-56. The Boilermakers snapped a two-game skid last Sunday and have now stacked up three victories in a row over Southern Indiana, Dayton and now Valparaiso.
The Boilermakers came out of the gates slow on Sunday, falling behind 10-5 to the Crusaders halfway through the first quarter. Purdue responded by mounting a 10-2 run over the latter half of the first frame behind six points from forward Mila Reynolds, taking a 17-12 lead into the second quarter.
Valparaiso kept things close throughout much of the first half, staying within two possessions before the Boilermakers took some momentum into halftime. Purdue finished the second quarter with a brief 5-0 run thanks to a pair of Rashunda Jones free throw and a Madison Layden three to go into the break up 33-25.
That momentum extended into the third quarter as the Boilermakers opened the second half by going on an 11-2 run to make it a 44-27 game with 5:11 left in the quarter. Purdue kept the offensive success going down the stretch, outscoring Valparaiso by 18 in the second half to coast to an 83-56 victory.
It was a freshman-led attack for the Boilermakers in the win, as the talented rookie duo of Rashunda Jones and Mary Ashley Stevenson both produced career-best marks. Jones had 22 points on an efficient 6-9 from the field and 2-3 from three-point range, adding in four rebounds and four assists. Stevenson also had a career-high with 14 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to mark the first double-double of her young Boilermaker career.
A pair of veterans also reached double-figures, as Madison Layden scored 10 points and Abbey Ellis accounted for 11 points. Ellis extended her double-figures streak to eight straight games to start the season. Layden also scored 10 or more points in a fourth-straight game, which is something she hadn't done since doing so in 13 straight in 2021-2022.
Purdue showed off its defensive prowess in the victory, holding to just 35% shooting from the field and under the 60 point mark. Under Katie Gearlds, the Boilermakers are now 22-when holding opponents under 60 points and 4-1 this season. Purdue also set a new season-high with 10 steals, besting its mark of eight from the win over Dayton on Friday.
Katie Gearlds was able to open up her rotation a bit more on Sunday afternoon, getting Mila Reynolds, Emily Monson and Sophie Swanson extended minutes. The trio of reserves accounted for 17 points combined in the win. Reynolds had not played since the win over Southern on November 12th, but had six early points to help keep the Boilermakers afloat in the first quarter.
Reynolds' performance was especially impactful as starting forward Caitlyn Harper was held scoreless in 11 minutes and turning the ball over four times in what was an off day for the typically reliable sixth-year senior.
The Boilermakers will look to extend their winning streak to four on Wednesday when Southeast Missouri State comes to Mackey Arena. The non-conference matchup will be at 7:00 p.m. on B1G+.
