Junior point guard April Wilson became just the 14th player in school history to post 300 career assists on Monday.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue women's basketball team lost possession of the Barn Burner Trophy for just the fifth time in series history on Monday night, falling at intrastate rival Indiana, 72-55. The Boilermakers scored just 17 points in the first half and were unable to recover as they fell to 10-12 overall and 3-8 in Big Ten Conference play.
The Boilermakers slow start was a combination of missed shots and turnovers as they made just seven-of-23 from the field and coughed the ball up 12 times in the opening half, while Indiana cashed in nearly 50 percent of its shots and committed just five turnovers. Senior forward Liza Clemons was saddled with two first half fouls, limiting her to just 10 minutes before the break, and Indiana took a 39-17 lead to the locker room.
The second half was a completely different story for the Boilermakers as they were able to convert 13-of-29 from the field (.448), riding strong play from Clemons and junior point guard April Wilson. Purdue chipped away at the lead, cutting it to 10 points on three different occasions, but Indiana responded each time and never really lost control of the game. The Hoosiers scored 14 second-half points at the free throw line, making just eight field goals, while committing 11 turnovers after the break, which resulted in 15 Purdue points. The Boilermakers' comeback bid slowed in the final three minutes as the Hoosiers scored 11 of their last 16 points at the free throw line, while Purdue's hot second-half shooting slowed.
Clemons finished with 14 points and seven rebounds, while Wilson added 13 points, four assists, three rebounds and a pair of steals with no turnovers for the night. Freshman guard Andreona Keys chipped in 11 points, seven rebounds and two steals, and senior Whitney Bays had 11 rebounds.
Sophomore guard Larryn Brooks had 22 points to lead the Hoosiers, while classmate Alexis Gassion added 12 points and seven rebounds and freshman Tyra Buss had 11 points.
Purdue returns to action Sunday at 2 p.m., hosting Penn State for its annual Pink Zone game, raising awareness for breast cancer.