WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Barn Burner Trophy Game lived up to its name. In an exhilarating rivalry game, the Purdue women's basketball team took No. 6/5 Indiana to overtime at Mackey Arena on Sunday, but the Hoosiers pulled away in the final frame to win 73-68.
The crowd of 8,505 was treated to an intense affair that featured 11 lead changes and nine ties.
Neither side created much separation during regulation. The Boilermakers (11-6, 2-4) jumped out to a 7-2 run to start the game but saw that lead erased by the Hoosiers (14-2, 6-0) by the end of the first.
After Purdue took a five-point lead into the break, Indiana flew out of the break on an 11-2 run to take a 38-34 lead. Cassidy Hardin and Abbey Ellis scored seven straight for the hosts, as the game went into the fourth tied at 41-41.
Purdue's defense stepped up at the start of the fourth, holding Indiana without a field goal for the first 5:03 of the period. The Boilermakers built up an eight-point lead with 3:21 to play before Indiana rallied to take a one point lead with eight seconds to play. Ellis, as she had all day, stepped up for Purdue with one second remaining to knock down one free throw and send the Boilermakers to their first overtime game since 2019.
In the extra period, Indiana outscored Purdue 13-8, as Purdue went 3-of-11 from the field, including 0-for-6 from behind the arc. The Hoosiers converted a pair of 3-pointers in overtime to pull away.
Needing 14 points to join the 1,000-point club for her career, Ellis eclipsed that mark with 19 points, including several key baskets to shift momentum in the second half. The Australian international was 8-of-17 from the field, grabbed a season-high eight rebounds and dished out four assists.
Madison Layden also finished to rebounds shy of a double-double with 15 points to go with two steals and two blocks. Brooke Moore added 18 off the bench with a perfect 6-of-6 at the line and six boards.
The Boilermakers shot 38.2% from the field and committed a season-low nine turnovers. Purdue scored 38 points in the paint, its third-highest tally this season. Indiana hit 42.9% of its shots and six 3-pointers.
Purdue lost the rebounding battle 42-40, but Indiana could only manage nine second-chance points on 10 offensive rebounds.
NOTES
• Purdue continues to lead the all-time series with Indiana 55-37, but the Hoosiers have won the last six meetings and the last six Barn Burner Trophy Games.
• Ava Learn set career highs in points (7), rebounds (5), blocks (1) and minutes (22) for the second straight game. The freshman
• The Boilermakers are 2-4 when failing to make seven or more 3-pointers, finishing with three on the day.
• Purdue's largest deficit was seven in overtime.
• Cassidy Hardin, Abbey Ellis and Madison Layden all set career highs with over 40 minutes on the floor.
• The Boilermakers are 5-3 this year when the bench scores 20 points or more, tallied 25 on Sunday.
• Both of Indiana's overtime 3-pointers came off turnovers.
• With her 10th straight game in double figures, Layden is the first Boilermaker to have a streak hit double figures since Karissa McLaughlin's 17 in 2018-19.
• Cassidy Hardin's 3-point streak continued to 18 games in a row, good for fourth longest in program history.
UP NEXT
Purdue will look to bounce back against Illinois on Thursday night. Tip from the State Farm Center is slated for 8 p.m. (ET) on B1G+.