Final Stats 
| Notes | Quotes
Bays scored a career-high 28 points in her final collegiate game.
HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. - The Purdue women's basketball team concluded the 2014-15 season on Thursday night, falling just short in a battle with sixth-seeded Minnesota, 82-78, at the Big Ten Tournament. Seniors Whitney Bays and Liza Clemons gave an epic performance in their final game as a Boilermaker, combining for 47 points as the Boilermakers rallied from 18-points down and almost upset the Golden Gophers at the Sears Centre.
Minnesota came out red-hot, hitting seven straight shots and racing out to an eight-point lead in the first four minutes. The Boilermakers slowed them for a couple minutes, but the buckets starting falling again as the advantage extended to 28-10 at the 12:13-mark of the opening half. Purdue responded with an 11-0 run of its own to pull back within seven, 28-21, but the Golden Gophers prevented them from drawing any closer and went into the locker room with a 13-point lead. Minnesota outscored the Boilermakers 16-2 on the fast break and 26-12 in the paint in the first half, shooting 52.8 percent from the field (19-36).
The second half was an extremely different story as the Boilermakers revved up the defense and climbed back into the game. Clemons led the rally early, scoring eight of the Boilermakers first 13 points and trimming the margin to just three, 50-47, after the first five minutes of the half. The comeback seemed to stall as Minnesota clung to a slight edge for the next seven minutes, but the Boilermakers pushed ahead just inside the eight-minute mark as a Bays jumper put Purdue up, 59-58, for the first time since the opening minutes of the game.
The Boilermakers' lead climbed to as many as three, 65-62, with 5:18 left, but Minnesota took it back on their lone triple of the second half, 67-65, on a long three from junior Shanye Mullaney with four minutes to play. Clemons tied the game back up at 67-67, but fouled out on the ensuing possession, heading to the bench with 3:15 to play and giving Minnesota the lead for good. The Golden Gophers scored their final 15 points of the game at the free throw line, hitting 15-of-18 attempts down the stretch. Purdue refused to go away in the final minute as freshman Andreona Keys hit a three to cut it to 78-75 with 32 seconds, and sophomore Ashley Morrissette converted three free throws to make it 80-78 with 15 seconds. Minnesota junior Kayla Hirt sealed up the win for the Golden Gophers, hitting four free throws late to secure the final advantage.
Bays finished with a career-high 28 points on 11-of-18 shooting, and grabbed six boards to surpass the 300-rebound mark for the season. Her total tied the fourth-most by a Boilermaker in a Big Ten Tournament game, and was her fifth 20-point outing of the season. Clemons turned in a season-high 19 points, eight rebounds and four blocked shots, while Morrissette had 15 points, seven assists and five rebounds. Junior point guard April Wilson matched the second-highest single-game assist total in tournament history, tying her career-high with 12 assists.
Minnesota was led by senior Shae Kelley with 26 points and eight rebounds, while Big Ten Player of the Year Amanda Zahui B. had 21 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks before fouling out. Mullaney chipped in 19 points and nine assists as well for the Golden Gophers, who move to 23-8 on the year and advance to face third-seeded Ohio State tomorrow.
Purdue completes the season at 11-20 overall and 3-15 in Big Ten Conference play. Head coach Sharon Versyp is six wins away from her 200th at Purdue and 12 shy of becoming the all-time winningest coach in Boilermaker women's basketball history.