WEST LAFAYETTE - Purdue Women's Basketball (15-11, 6-9 B1G) is up next on the road at Rutgers (9-17, 2-12 B1G) on Sunday, Feb. 20, with a 1 p.m. ET tipoff from Jersey Mike's Arena on Big Ten Network.
Tim Newton will be on the call from Piscataway for the Purdue Radio Network on 95.3 BOB FM.
GAME INFORMATION
Purdue (15-11, 6-9) at Rutgers (9-17, 2-12)
Sunday, Feb. 20
Time: 1 PM (ET)
TV: Big Ten Network
Radio: 95.3 BOB FM
Live Stats: Purduestats.com
STARTING FIVE
1. Purdue will be aiming to win back-to-back games over the Scarlet Knights for the third time in program history.
2. The Purdue-Rutgers matchup is a tradition-rich meeting of storied women's basketball programs, making up two of the eight Big Ten Conference teams who have advanced to an NCAA Final Four in their respective program histories.
3. Purdue advanced to the NCAA Final Four in 1994, 1999 and 2001 (winning the 1999 NCAA Championship), while Rutgers made appearances in the NCAA Final Four in 2000 and 2006.
4. Jeanae Terry has back-to-back games of 17 boards -- with her nine offensive rebounds at Wisconsin ranking tied for 3rd-most in school history.
5. Off the bench in her familiar sixth-woman role, Brooke Moore led Purdue in scoring for the sixth time this season with 14 points to help the Boilermakers to their 70-54 win over Illinois (Feb. 17).
LAST TIME OUT
• Purdue dominated the final three quarters to soar past Illinois 70-54 on Feb. 17 at Mackey Arena.
• Facing her former team, junior Jeanae Terry led Purdue on both ends of the floor. She crashed the boards and hauled in 17 rebounds for the second consecutive game, matching her career high, while adding 11 points for her fourth double-double of the season.
• The duo of Brooke Moore and Ava Learn combined for 26 points off the bench. Moore's 14 led all Boilermakers, and Learn scored a career-high 12 points.
LET'S MAKE IT TWO
• Purdue has the opportunity to claim back-to-back victories over Rutgers for just the third time in program history on Sunday, Feb. 20, at Jersey Mike's Arena.
• To start off the series between the two programs, Purdue claimed the opening two contests of the series (Feb. 22, 1999; March 29, 2009), both non-conference matchups.
• The Boilers claimed back-to-back wins during B1G action with wins on Feb. 25, 2016 (home, 74-68 OT), and on Feb. 15, 2017 (away, 55-42).
SAYING GOODKNIGHT
• Prior to Purdue winning its first matchup against Rutgers earlier this season (60-58, Jan. 2, 2022) on a last-second, buzzer-beating layup from junior guard Jeanae Terry, the Scarlet Knights had claimed five-straight wins dating back to the 2017-18 season.
• The Boilermakers built a stout 21-point advantage coming out of halftime, but Rutgers quieted the train whistles to an 11-point deficit heading into the fourth quarter in the eventual Purdue win. Rutgers then tightened the game down the stretch with a 15-4 run to tie the contest at 58-58 with 47 seconds remaining.
• Terry took over, and the game-winner was her second of the year, after a jumper in the lane against now-ranked No. 16 Georgia Tech went in for a 53-52 win in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
• The win over Rutgers was also significant for head coach Katie Gearlds, as it was her first career Big Ten Conference victory.
NO FIGHT FROM THE ILLINI
• Purdue completed the season sweep of Illinois with a 70-54 victory over the Fighting Illini on Feb. 17, with the sweep standing as the fifth such instance in the last six years.
• The win improved the Boilermakers all-time record against the conference foe to 64-18.
• Purdue held Illinois to 1-of-13 from beyond the arc, the fourth time this season limiting an opponent to one three-pointer or less.
• Against her former team, junior guard Jeanae Terry recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 11 points and 17 rebounds.
• Freshman forward Ava Learn reached double figures for the first time as a Boilermaker, scoring a career high 12 points.
• Senior guard Brooke Moore's team-high 14 points marked her 14th double-digit game this season, all coming off the bench.
TERRY MAKING TROUBLE
• Jeanae Terry is stuffing the stat sheet with 7.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game this season.
• She is 12th in the country with 147 assists (3rd B1G) and 18th with 5.7 dimes per game (4th B1G).
• Terry has tallied five points, five assists and five rebounds in 13 games this season, good for fourth in the nation.
• Terry is one of five players nationally to average seven points, six rebounds and five assists.
• The Detroit native has four games with at least eight assists and five rebounds, tied for fourth in the nation.
• Terry has led the Boilermakers in assists 15 times this year.
• In back-to-back games, she set and matched a new career-high of 17 rebounds at Wisconsin (Feb. 13) and against Illinois (Feb. 17). Her nine offensive boards against the Badgers were the most by a Boilermaker since Natasha Bogdanova pulled down nine against Mississippi State (Dec. 20, 2005).
• Coach Gearlds moved Terry to the point ahead of the West Virginia game, as one of the better players on the roster to handle a press.
LAYDEN LEADERSHIP
• Madison Layden has stepped into her expanded role as the go-to player on offense with 11.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game.
• Layden leads Purdue in points, steals and minutes played this season.
• Layden has recorded a steal in all but three games in her career.
• The Kokomo, Ind., native has hit double figures in 20 of 25 outings.
• Layden was the first Boilermaker to score 10 points in 13 straight games since the 2018-19 campaign (Karissa McLaughlin - 17).
• She already topped her career high with 20 points vs. Western Michigan, and then matched that total in the win vs. Penn State (Feb. 9).
• She is the first sophomore captain since FahKara Malone in 2007-08.
THUNDER FROM DOWN UNDER
• Abbey Ellis has made an instant impact on both ends of the floor to start her Purdue career, quickly becoming a fan favorite in West Lafayette.
• Ellis is averaging 10.9 points and 3.2 assists per game.
• The Aussie is shooting 46.7% from the floor and 87.1% at the line, with 16 games in double figures.
• Following 818 points in two years at Cal Poly, Ellis joined the 1,000-point club with an electrifying 19-point performance against Indiana.
• The junior recorded 11 assists and five steals against Western Michigan. It was just the ninth time by a player in the Big Ten sine 2009-10 and believed to be* the second Boilermaker to ever hit that line, joining Sharon Versyp (12 ast, 7 stls vs. San Diego State – 12/4/87).
• Ellis's 11-assist outing was the 28th time in program history a player topped 11 dimes in a game.
RESURGENT RICKIE
• Rickie Woltman has flourished under Gearlds to start the season, recording career highs in points (18), rebounds (11, twice), blocks (4) and minutes played (33).
• Since joining the starting lineup against Maryland, Woltman is averaging 6.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 20.0 minutes per game.
• A breakout game for the junior from St. Louis came in league play against Penn State, as Woltman secured her second double-double of the season and her career with an 18-point (career-best), 11-rebound performance.
• The junior snagged her first career double-double against North Alabama with 14 points and 11 rebounds, both career highs.
• Woltman made her first career start at No. 8 Maryland on Dec. 8 when Ra Shaya Kyle went down due to injury.
• At Illinois State, she blocked four shots in the win, Purdue's first four-block outing since 2019-20.
• With Woltman as the highest ranked recruit by ESPNW in program history, No. 25 player in the class of 2019, Gearlds has sought to put Woltman in positions that benefit her skill set.
LETTING IT FLY
• Seven different Boilermakers have made a 3-pointer, led by Cassidy Hardin's 67, Madison Layden's 53 and Brooke Moore's 32. Iowa, Minnesota and Purdue are the only teams in the Big Ten Conference with three different players with 30 made three-pointers on the season.
• Currently 199-of-612, the Boilermakers are on pace to break the single-season record for team 3-pointers made (209) and attempted (592).
• The Boilermakers are 11-5 when making seven or more triples.
• The Old Gold and Black has made 12 3-pointers in four games this season and attempted 30 or more triples in six games.
• Prior to this season, Purdue had made 12 or more triples just eight times before and attempted 30 or more 3-pointers just four times.
• The Boilermakers let it loose from distance with 27 made triples through the first three games, the most to start a season at Purdue.
• Hardly surprising for a Katie Gearlds squad to shoot with confidence from distance. While at Marian, her team averaged seven 3-pointers a game and 20 attempts.
• As a player, Gearlds originally set the mark and now ranks tied for third in Purdue history with 238 triples made in a career and second in attempts. She is tied for the record with 88 makes in a season from 2006-07.
DEFENDING THE ARC
• While still implementing her defensive philosophy after the 47-day prep period ahead of the season, Purdue has developed one of the best 3-point defenses in the Big Ten.
• Purdue is second in the Big Ten with opponents making 27.6% of their 3-point shots and just 4.8 triples per game allowed.
• Those marks are at 29.0% (2nd) and 4.6 against Big Ten opponents
• Purdue has kept 18 opponents to six 3-pointers or fewer.
• The Boilermakers are one of 17 teams to not allow a 3-pointer in multiple games this year (Rutgers, Iowa).
• Purdue has blanked an opponent behind the arc just five times since the 2009-10 season.
SPREADING THE WEALTH
• The Boilermakers have made it a habit of making an extra pass to find open shooters this season with 15.7 assists per game (41st NCAA, 6th B1G), the most by a Purdue team since 2009-10 and 7.8 3-pointers per game (41st NCAA, 4th B1G).
• Purdue has had 28 different five-assist performances by players.
Tim Newton will be on the call from Piscataway for the Purdue Radio Network on 95.3 BOB FM.
GAME INFORMATION
Purdue (15-11, 6-9) at Rutgers (9-17, 2-12)
Sunday, Feb. 20
Time: 1 PM (ET)
TV: Big Ten Network
Radio: 95.3 BOB FM
Live Stats: Purduestats.com
STARTING FIVE
1. Purdue will be aiming to win back-to-back games over the Scarlet Knights for the third time in program history.
2. The Purdue-Rutgers matchup is a tradition-rich meeting of storied women's basketball programs, making up two of the eight Big Ten Conference teams who have advanced to an NCAA Final Four in their respective program histories.
3. Purdue advanced to the NCAA Final Four in 1994, 1999 and 2001 (winning the 1999 NCAA Championship), while Rutgers made appearances in the NCAA Final Four in 2000 and 2006.
4. Jeanae Terry has back-to-back games of 17 boards -- with her nine offensive rebounds at Wisconsin ranking tied for 3rd-most in school history.
5. Off the bench in her familiar sixth-woman role, Brooke Moore led Purdue in scoring for the sixth time this season with 14 points to help the Boilermakers to their 70-54 win over Illinois (Feb. 17).
LAST TIME OUT
• Purdue dominated the final three quarters to soar past Illinois 70-54 on Feb. 17 at Mackey Arena.
• Facing her former team, junior Jeanae Terry led Purdue on both ends of the floor. She crashed the boards and hauled in 17 rebounds for the second consecutive game, matching her career high, while adding 11 points for her fourth double-double of the season.
• The duo of Brooke Moore and Ava Learn combined for 26 points off the bench. Moore's 14 led all Boilermakers, and Learn scored a career-high 12 points.
LET'S MAKE IT TWO
• Purdue has the opportunity to claim back-to-back victories over Rutgers for just the third time in program history on Sunday, Feb. 20, at Jersey Mike's Arena.
• To start off the series between the two programs, Purdue claimed the opening two contests of the series (Feb. 22, 1999; March 29, 2009), both non-conference matchups.
• The Boilers claimed back-to-back wins during B1G action with wins on Feb. 25, 2016 (home, 74-68 OT), and on Feb. 15, 2017 (away, 55-42).
SAYING GOODKNIGHT
• Prior to Purdue winning its first matchup against Rutgers earlier this season (60-58, Jan. 2, 2022) on a last-second, buzzer-beating layup from junior guard Jeanae Terry, the Scarlet Knights had claimed five-straight wins dating back to the 2017-18 season.
• The Boilermakers built a stout 21-point advantage coming out of halftime, but Rutgers quieted the train whistles to an 11-point deficit heading into the fourth quarter in the eventual Purdue win. Rutgers then tightened the game down the stretch with a 15-4 run to tie the contest at 58-58 with 47 seconds remaining.
• Terry took over, and the game-winner was her second of the year, after a jumper in the lane against now-ranked No. 16 Georgia Tech went in for a 53-52 win in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
• The win over Rutgers was also significant for head coach Katie Gearlds, as it was her first career Big Ten Conference victory.
NO FIGHT FROM THE ILLINI
• Purdue completed the season sweep of Illinois with a 70-54 victory over the Fighting Illini on Feb. 17, with the sweep standing as the fifth such instance in the last six years.
• The win improved the Boilermakers all-time record against the conference foe to 64-18.
• Purdue held Illinois to 1-of-13 from beyond the arc, the fourth time this season limiting an opponent to one three-pointer or less.
• Against her former team, junior guard Jeanae Terry recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 11 points and 17 rebounds.
• Freshman forward Ava Learn reached double figures for the first time as a Boilermaker, scoring a career high 12 points.
• Senior guard Brooke Moore's team-high 14 points marked her 14th double-digit game this season, all coming off the bench.
TERRY MAKING TROUBLE
• Jeanae Terry is stuffing the stat sheet with 7.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game this season.
• She is 12th in the country with 147 assists (3rd B1G) and 18th with 5.7 dimes per game (4th B1G).
• Terry has tallied five points, five assists and five rebounds in 13 games this season, good for fourth in the nation.
• Terry is one of five players nationally to average seven points, six rebounds and five assists.
• The Detroit native has four games with at least eight assists and five rebounds, tied for fourth in the nation.
• Terry has led the Boilermakers in assists 15 times this year.
• In back-to-back games, she set and matched a new career-high of 17 rebounds at Wisconsin (Feb. 13) and against Illinois (Feb. 17). Her nine offensive boards against the Badgers were the most by a Boilermaker since Natasha Bogdanova pulled down nine against Mississippi State (Dec. 20, 2005).
• Coach Gearlds moved Terry to the point ahead of the West Virginia game, as one of the better players on the roster to handle a press.
LAYDEN LEADERSHIP
• Madison Layden has stepped into her expanded role as the go-to player on offense with 11.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game.
• Layden leads Purdue in points, steals and minutes played this season.
• Layden has recorded a steal in all but three games in her career.
• The Kokomo, Ind., native has hit double figures in 20 of 25 outings.
• Layden was the first Boilermaker to score 10 points in 13 straight games since the 2018-19 campaign (Karissa McLaughlin - 17).
• She already topped her career high with 20 points vs. Western Michigan, and then matched that total in the win vs. Penn State (Feb. 9).
• She is the first sophomore captain since FahKara Malone in 2007-08.
THUNDER FROM DOWN UNDER
• Abbey Ellis has made an instant impact on both ends of the floor to start her Purdue career, quickly becoming a fan favorite in West Lafayette.
• Ellis is averaging 10.9 points and 3.2 assists per game.
• The Aussie is shooting 46.7% from the floor and 87.1% at the line, with 16 games in double figures.
• Following 818 points in two years at Cal Poly, Ellis joined the 1,000-point club with an electrifying 19-point performance against Indiana.
• The junior recorded 11 assists and five steals against Western Michigan. It was just the ninth time by a player in the Big Ten sine 2009-10 and believed to be* the second Boilermaker to ever hit that line, joining Sharon Versyp (12 ast, 7 stls vs. San Diego State – 12/4/87).
• Ellis's 11-assist outing was the 28th time in program history a player topped 11 dimes in a game.
RESURGENT RICKIE
• Rickie Woltman has flourished under Gearlds to start the season, recording career highs in points (18), rebounds (11, twice), blocks (4) and minutes played (33).
• Since joining the starting lineup against Maryland, Woltman is averaging 6.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 20.0 minutes per game.
• A breakout game for the junior from St. Louis came in league play against Penn State, as Woltman secured her second double-double of the season and her career with an 18-point (career-best), 11-rebound performance.
• The junior snagged her first career double-double against North Alabama with 14 points and 11 rebounds, both career highs.
• Woltman made her first career start at No. 8 Maryland on Dec. 8 when Ra Shaya Kyle went down due to injury.
• At Illinois State, she blocked four shots in the win, Purdue's first four-block outing since 2019-20.
• With Woltman as the highest ranked recruit by ESPNW in program history, No. 25 player in the class of 2019, Gearlds has sought to put Woltman in positions that benefit her skill set.
LETTING IT FLY
• Seven different Boilermakers have made a 3-pointer, led by Cassidy Hardin's 67, Madison Layden's 53 and Brooke Moore's 32. Iowa, Minnesota and Purdue are the only teams in the Big Ten Conference with three different players with 30 made three-pointers on the season.
• Currently 199-of-612, the Boilermakers are on pace to break the single-season record for team 3-pointers made (209) and attempted (592).
• The Boilermakers are 11-5 when making seven or more triples.
• The Old Gold and Black has made 12 3-pointers in four games this season and attempted 30 or more triples in six games.
• Prior to this season, Purdue had made 12 or more triples just eight times before and attempted 30 or more 3-pointers just four times.
• The Boilermakers let it loose from distance with 27 made triples through the first three games, the most to start a season at Purdue.
• Hardly surprising for a Katie Gearlds squad to shoot with confidence from distance. While at Marian, her team averaged seven 3-pointers a game and 20 attempts.
• As a player, Gearlds originally set the mark and now ranks tied for third in Purdue history with 238 triples made in a career and second in attempts. She is tied for the record with 88 makes in a season from 2006-07.
DEFENDING THE ARC
• While still implementing her defensive philosophy after the 47-day prep period ahead of the season, Purdue has developed one of the best 3-point defenses in the Big Ten.
• Purdue is second in the Big Ten with opponents making 27.6% of their 3-point shots and just 4.8 triples per game allowed.
• Those marks are at 29.0% (2nd) and 4.6 against Big Ten opponents
• Purdue has kept 18 opponents to six 3-pointers or fewer.
• The Boilermakers are one of 17 teams to not allow a 3-pointer in multiple games this year (Rutgers, Iowa).
• Purdue has blanked an opponent behind the arc just five times since the 2009-10 season.
SPREADING THE WEALTH
• The Boilermakers have made it a habit of making an extra pass to find open shooters this season with 15.7 assists per game (41st NCAA, 6th B1G), the most by a Purdue team since 2009-10 and 7.8 3-pointers per game (41st NCAA, 4th B1G).
• Purdue has had 28 different five-assist performances by players.