WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue women's basketball team fell 65-63 to Michigan State on Thursday night at Mackey Arena, as the Spartan's Nia Clouden scored a game-winning layup with 1.2 seconds remaining.
Purdue (17-11, 8-8) shot 46.3% from the field and committed just 11 turnovers in the loss. Ae'Rianna Harris finished one rebound shy of her seventh double-double of the season with 20 points and 9 boards. Karissa McLaughlin tallied 11 points on 5-of-11 shooting, after missing the last two games through injury.
The Boilermakers weathered an early charge from the Spartans (14-12, 7-8), as the visitors hit 10 of their first 15 shots to open a six-point lead after the opening frame. Michigan State extended the gap to eight, before the Boilermaker flipped the script in the second quarter.
Cassidy Hardin drained a 3-pointer that kickstarted a 12-0 run for the Boilermakers, capped off by Jenelle Grant triple to take four-point lead to the halftime break. Purdue held Michigan State to just four points in the frame and off the scoreboard for final 5:43 of the half.
Out of the half, the Boilermakers grew the lead to six points in the third, but Michigan State rallied to even the score at 44-44 heading to the fourth quarter.
Momentum seesawed throughout the fourth quarter. Harris and Dominique Oden scored back-to-back baskets to open an early four-point lead, only for the visitors to counter with a five-point swing of their own. McLaughlin knocked down a 3-pointer with 3:38 to play, and Kayana Traylor hit a jumper in the paint a minute later to give the Boilermakers the lead twice, but the Spartans countered both scores to tie the game.
Following a Clouden jumper with 22 seconds to play, Jenelle Grant broke free from her defender on an inbounds play for an open layup to tie the game at 63-63 with 9.9 seconds remaining. On the ensuing possession, Clouden managed to cut through the Purdue defense to the rim for the game-winning score.
NOTES
• Purdue leads the all-time series against Michigan State 41-34.
• The game finished with 16 lead changes, the first double-digit game of the year for Purdue, as well as eight ties.
• The four points allowed in the second marked the second time Purdue gave up less than five points in a frame this season.
• The Boilermakers won the rebounding battle 31-25.
• Harris reached 20 points for the fifth time this season moved within 11 of joining the 1,500-points club.
• Grant delivered nine points off the bench from a consistent 4-of-5 shooting.
• Harris led the Boilermakers with four assists, as Purdue dished out 13 helpers on 25 made field goals.
• Fatou Diagne totaled seven points and five rebounds in her sixth start of the season.
• The Boilermakers shot 50% (12-24) over the final 20 minutes, with Harris and McLaughlin each scoring nine points.
UP NEXT
The Boilermakers will head to No. 7/8 Maryland next Tuesday for an 8 p.m. showdown on BTN.
Stay up to date on all the latest scores, stats and stories surrounding Purdue women's basketball this season by following the team on Twitter (@PurdueWBB), Instagram (@PurdueWBB) and Facebook (/PurdueWBB).