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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue women's basketball team enters the home stretch of the Big Ten season this week, set to host Illinois in Mackey Arena on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET and marking the first of three of the next four games on their home floor. The Boilermakers aim to finish the regular season strong, sitting 15-9 overall and tied for sixth in the conference standings, but one game out of fourth and two out of third.
PROBABLE STARTERS
Karissa McLaughlin, So.
Dominique Oden, Jr.
Ae'Rianna Harris, Jr.
Tamara Farquhar, So.
Kayana Traylor, Fr.
LOOKING BACK
The Boilermakers suffered their third straight loss Sunday, falling at No. 23 Michigan State 74-66. Purdue tied the game at 66-66 with 57 seconds left, but a late bucket from the Spartans and ensuing free throws accounted for the final margin. The Boilermaker fell despite 19 offensive rebounds, 15 second chance points and 21 trips to the free throw line, where they cashed in 81 percent. Purdue scored 18 fast break points, including 16 in the second half against the Spartans, marking their highest total since scoring 29 at Wisconsin.
MCLAUGHLIN MAKING MAJOR MOVES
The Boilermaker sophomore has been filling up the scoring column throughout Big Ten play and is on the verge of several all-time Purdue records. She's posted double figures in 12 straight games and ranks eighth in the conference at 15.4 points per game, including her 16 points against the Spartans on Sunday. She's second in the NCAA at the charity stripe, hitting 93 percent, and leads the nation in minutes played, logging 857:29 so far this season. She's already tied for 12th in program history with 137 career 3-pointers, and her 62 3-pointers this season are tied for the No. 10 single-season mark at Purdue and two shy of the Boilermakers' sophomore season record, set by Oden in 2017-18. McLaughlin is three assists shy of 100 for the season, which will make her the fifth player to deal 100 helpers in each of her first two seasons at Purdue.
LYNDSEY WHILBY (WILL BE) HELPING
After missing a four-game stretch with the flu sophomore Lyndsey Whilby has bounced back strong, averaging 9.5 points per game in her last two and providing the Boilermakers with a much-needed spark off the bench. She had nine points last week against Nebraska and scored 10 at Michigan State, including eight in Purdue's second-half comeback against the Spartans.
1,000 TIMES TWO
With Harris sitting 21 points shy of 1,000 career points, she and Oden aim to become the 12th class in program history with multiple 1,000-point scorers. Head coach Sharon Versyp started the trend in 1988 with teammates Christa LaCroix and Lisa Jahner (the only Purdue class with three 1,000-point scorers), and other dynamic duos include Stephanie White and Ukari Figgs in 1999, Katie Gearlds and Erin Lawless in 2007 and KK Houser and Courtney Moses in 2014.
ALL ABOUT ILLINOIS
The Fighting Illini come to Mackey Arena on Thursday in the midst of an eight-game conference slide, including Monday's 80-66 loss to No. 10 Maryland at the State Farm Center. Illinois is 2-5 on the road this season, earning their only Big Ten victory of the season away from home as they earned a 66-62 win at Minnesota on Jan. 6. Head coach Nancy Fahey is in her second season at Illinois after an outstanding career at Division III Washington University. The Fighting Illini have the fewest turnovers of any team in the Big Ten, averaging only 13.8 per game, and rank third in the conference in 3-point field goals, cashing in 6.2 per game from behind the arc. Senior Alex Wittinger ranks among the Big Ten's best in several categories, sitting ninth in scoring (15.2 ppg), eighth in rebounding (7.9 rpg), seventh in field goal percentage (.526) and third in blocks (2.6 bpg). Wittinger is just behind Harris on the Big Ten's career blocked shots list, ranking 13th with 256 rejections. Junior Brandi Beasley is Illinois' only other player averaging double figures, scoring 11.8 points per game and ranks third in the Big Ten at 5.0 assists per game. Freshman Arieal Scott is among the Big Ten leaders in 3-point shooting, converting 2.1 per game, but missed the Fighting Illini's game Monday vs. Maryland with an ankle injury.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue women's basketball team enters the home stretch of the Big Ten season this week, set to host Illinois in Mackey Arena on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET and marking the first of three of the next four games on their home floor. The Boilermakers aim to finish the regular season strong, sitting 15-9 overall and tied for sixth in the conference standings, but one game out of fourth and two out of third.
PROBABLE STARTERS
Karissa McLaughlin, So.
Dominique Oden, Jr.
Ae'Rianna Harris, Jr.
Tamara Farquhar, So.
Kayana Traylor, Fr.
LOOKING BACK
The Boilermakers suffered their third straight loss Sunday, falling at No. 23 Michigan State 74-66. Purdue tied the game at 66-66 with 57 seconds left, but a late bucket from the Spartans and ensuing free throws accounted for the final margin. The Boilermaker fell despite 19 offensive rebounds, 15 second chance points and 21 trips to the free throw line, where they cashed in 81 percent. Purdue scored 18 fast break points, including 16 in the second half against the Spartans, marking their highest total since scoring 29 at Wisconsin.
MCLAUGHLIN MAKING MAJOR MOVES
The Boilermaker sophomore has been filling up the scoring column throughout Big Ten play and is on the verge of several all-time Purdue records. She's posted double figures in 12 straight games and ranks eighth in the conference at 15.4 points per game, including her 16 points against the Spartans on Sunday. She's second in the NCAA at the charity stripe, hitting 93 percent, and leads the nation in minutes played, logging 857:29 so far this season. She's already tied for 12th in program history with 137 career 3-pointers, and her 62 3-pointers this season are tied for the No. 10 single-season mark at Purdue and two shy of the Boilermakers' sophomore season record, set by Oden in 2017-18. McLaughlin is three assists shy of 100 for the season, which will make her the fifth player to deal 100 helpers in each of her first two seasons at Purdue.
LYNDSEY WHILBY (WILL BE) HELPING
After missing a four-game stretch with the flu sophomore Lyndsey Whilby has bounced back strong, averaging 9.5 points per game in her last two and providing the Boilermakers with a much-needed spark off the bench. She had nine points last week against Nebraska and scored 10 at Michigan State, including eight in Purdue's second-half comeback against the Spartans.
1,000 TIMES TWO
With Harris sitting 21 points shy of 1,000 career points, she and Oden aim to become the 12th class in program history with multiple 1,000-point scorers. Head coach Sharon Versyp started the trend in 1988 with teammates Christa LaCroix and Lisa Jahner (the only Purdue class with three 1,000-point scorers), and other dynamic duos include Stephanie White and Ukari Figgs in 1999, Katie Gearlds and Erin Lawless in 2007 and KK Houser and Courtney Moses in 2014.
ALL ABOUT ILLINOIS
The Fighting Illini come to Mackey Arena on Thursday in the midst of an eight-game conference slide, including Monday's 80-66 loss to No. 10 Maryland at the State Farm Center. Illinois is 2-5 on the road this season, earning their only Big Ten victory of the season away from home as they earned a 66-62 win at Minnesota on Jan. 6. Head coach Nancy Fahey is in her second season at Illinois after an outstanding career at Division III Washington University. The Fighting Illini have the fewest turnovers of any team in the Big Ten, averaging only 13.8 per game, and rank third in the conference in 3-point field goals, cashing in 6.2 per game from behind the arc. Senior Alex Wittinger ranks among the Big Ten's best in several categories, sitting ninth in scoring (15.2 ppg), eighth in rebounding (7.9 rpg), seventh in field goal percentage (.526) and third in blocks (2.6 bpg). Wittinger is just behind Harris on the Big Ten's career blocked shots list, ranking 13th with 256 rejections. Junior Brandi Beasley is Illinois' only other player averaging double figures, scoring 11.8 points per game and ranks third in the Big Ten at 5.0 assists per game. Freshman Arieal Scott is among the Big Ten leaders in 3-point shooting, converting 2.1 per game, but missed the Fighting Illini's game Monday vs. Maryland with an ankle injury.