BLACKSBURG, Va. – Despite a combined 30 points out of Tamara Farquhar and Ae'Rianna Harris, the Purdue women's basketball team dropped its Big Ten/ACC Challenge matchup Thursday night at Virginia Tech 67-54.
The Boilermakers (6-2) shot 40.4% from the field, with a 42.8% clip over the first three quarters. The 3-point line was the difference maker. For the second time in the last three outings, the Boilermakers failed to connect from the outside, going 0-for-7 from behind the arc. Meanwhile, Virginia Tech (7-1) converted seven of its 20 attempts on the night.
After trailing by four at the break and allowing a 7-0 run to start the third, the Boilermakers stormed back on a 13-4 run. Fatou Diagne strung together six points on back-to-back-to-back possessions, before Farquhar evened the proceedings at 40-40 with a traditional 3-point play.
The Hokies responded with an 11-4 run of their own to close the third quarter. In the fourth, five turnovers hindered Purdue from making a late charge.
Farquhar finished with a career-high 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting. Harris battled through foul trouble to score 12 and haul down seven rebounds. Karissa McLaughlin dished out a season-high seven assists to go along with six points.
NOTES
• The all-time series between Purdue and Virginia Tech is tied at 1-1.
• The Boilermakers are now 3-10 all-time in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
• Roxane Makolo scored two points and pulled down three rebounds in 23 minutes of action, two minutes shy of her career high.
• Purdue went 8-of-12 from the free throw line.
• Virginia Tech finished ahead in the rebounding battle 39-31, including a 14-9 edge in offensive rebounds.
• Harris blocked three shots on the night, marking her fifth game of the season with at least three swats and the 61st game of her career.
• Diagne tallied six points on 3-of-6 shooting, matching her season high in both columns. The redshirt junior also swatted a pair of shots.
• The 67 points scored by the Hokies were the most allowed by Purdue this season.
• Virginia Tech scored 20 and 22 points in the first and third quarters, respectively, marking the first time an opponent has reached 20 points in a quarter against the Boilermakers this season.
UP NEXT
The Boilermakers will return home to Mackey Arena on Sunday for a noon tipoff against Kent State. Purdue will close out the non-conference season with three of its four remaining games at home.