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EAST LANSING, Mich. – Three players finished in double figures, as the Purdue women's basketball team opened the second half of the Big Ten Conference season with a 76-66 on the road Thursday night at Michigan State. The Boilermakers improved to 15-7 on the year and a 6-4 mark in league play with their third straight win.
The Boilermakers shared the wealth in scoring among Karissa McLaughlin, Dominique Oden and Ae'Rianna Harris, as the trio tallied a combined 62 points. McLaughlin was seemingly unconscious from behind the arc with seven 3-pointers.
Oden knocked down was 6-of-8 from the field and 10-12 from the free throw line for her second straight outing in double figures. The senior also added nine boards. Harris chipped in 16 points and nine rebounds.
Purdue had to fight back from an early nine-point deficit in the first, but the Boilermakers found their stride to close the quarter within three. The second quarter saw the visitors drop 24 points to open up a 36-29 lead at the break.
The Boilermakers went 1-of-9 to start the game, before connecting on 12 of their next 16 field goals to close the half. Purdue posted a 52% clip from the floor and totaled 15 points off turnovers in the first 20 minutes.
In the second half, Purdue had an answer for every Michigan State charge. The hosts managed to cut the gap to three midway through the third, before the Boilermakers rolled off an 8-0 run to close the frame. McLaughlin took the air out of the Breslin Center with 12 points in the final frame on 4-of-5 shooting from behind the arc.
Purdue shot 52.1% for the game, including 47.1% clip from distance. The Boilermakers trimmed the turnovers down to 14 on the night and converted 15 Michigan State giveaways into 16 points.
QUOTABLES
Head coach Sharon Versyp after the game…
We played with a lot of heart and a lot of passion tonight. We started out slow, but we started to get situated and hit our shots. Dominique did a great job of carrying us offensively in the first half. Then we started getting stops and getting up and down the court. Ri and Karissa really got us going in the second half. It was all about team offense and team defense tonight. We understood out scouting report and executed it well.
RI JOINS ELITE COMPANY
Ae'Rianna Harris' nine rebounds on the night moved her to 1,000 for her career. The senior became the first player in program history to hit that mark. The Indianapolis native is the second player in Big Ten Conference history to join the 1,000-point, 1,000-rebound, 300-block club, joining Jessica Davenports from Ohio State (2004-07). Harris finished one rebound shy of her 28th career double-double, which would given her sole possession of Purdue's career record.
NOTES
• Purdue leads the all-time series against Michigan State 41-33, with a 14-23 mark in East Lansing.
• The starting lineup scored 73 points on the night, a new season high.
• During the game, Oden passed Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton for 10th on the all-time scoring charts in program history.
• McLaughlin finished just two triples shy of her career high.
• Oden's rebounding output matched her season high and finished one short of her career high against South Carolina last year.
• The Boilermakers outscored Michigan State 43-27 over the middle two quarters.
• Purdue went 18-of-22 from the free throw line, the third-highest tally this season.
UP NEXT
The Boilermakers will face foe Indiana at Mackey Arena on Monday night at 7 p.m. on BTN. It will be the Boilermaker Blackout Game.
LACE UP FOUNDATION
Ahead of the Boilermakers' Feb. 9 game against Iowa for the Beat Cancer Pinkout, the Boilermakers are raising money for the Lace Up Foundation. Purdue will sport GOLD laces on their shoes to show its support for pediatric cancer research. All proceeds of this fundraiser will go to local Indiana hospitals. Click here to donate and make a difference in a child's life.
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