WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Lasha Petree dropped 31 points as the Purdue women's basketball team held on for an 87-78 win over Syracuse in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The Boilermakers notched its second straight challenge win under head coach Katie Gearlds and moved to 7-1 on the year.
Petree became the 40th player in Purdue history to tally 31 points in a game. The fifth-year senior was 13-of-21 from the field for a season high in points and added seven rebounds, her best tally as a Boilermaker.
Jayla Smith joined Petree as the other Boilermaker in double digits. The sophomore went for 12 points on 6-of-9 shooting in 18 minutes of action.
While Purdue only connected on a trio of 3-pointers, the Boilermakers posted a 54.1% shooting clip on the night with a pair of quarters 60% or better. Purdue worked the ball inside to score 54 points in the paint.
Eight of Purdue's nine players who saw action hauled in multiple rebounds. Caitlyn Harper tallied a team-high eight, as the Boilermakers won the battle on the boards 44-38.
Syracuse (5-2) shot 36.4% on the night but made five triples in the second half to trim a large Purdue lead to single digits in the fourth. Teisha Hyman tallied a game-high 26 points for the Orange, the most by an opponent against the Boilermakers this season.
Purdue started strong in the first half with 47 points in the opening 20 minutes, paced by Petree with 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting. The Boilermakers were 21-of-38 from the field for a 55.3% shooting clip. Thirty-six of the Boilermakers' first half points came in the paint.
The Boilermakers jumped out in front early in the first quarter with a five-point margin after 10. Syracuse jumped ahead 12-7 through the first 3:27, but the Boilermakers fired back with eight straight points to take the lead for good.
Making 10-of-15 shots in the second, Purdue extended its lead to as many as 20 in the second period. Following back-to-back layups by Smith, to give the Boilermakers a 31-20 lead early in the period, Petree scored nine of Purdue's next 10 points.
The Boilermakers matched every Syracuse punch in the third with much-needed free throws. Five different players went to the line in the third to make 9-of-10 charity shots out of the break to stay ahead by 16 at its smallest gap.
The Orange rallied to start the fourth with a 14-2 run that saw the lead shrink to six with 4:50 to play. Abbey Ellis nailed a 3-pointer with 4:09 left to stop the run, but the transfer duo of Petree and Harper but the game away. The duo combined for six straight points on back-to-back and-ones to take the lead to 12 with two minutes on the clock.
BLAZING SHOOTERS
Purdue shot above 50% from the field for the fifth time this season. That total is already sixth most by a Purdue team in the last 14 years. Much of the success has come by tallying 30 ore more points in the paint five times. The 54 points in the lane Wednesday night were the second most this year behind 58 against SIUE.
PLENTY OF PETREE
Petree kept her streak of games in double figures alive with a season-high 31 points. The Detroit native has topped 20 or more points in four outings and took her season tally to 19.9 points per game at an efficient 53.4% from the field.
NOTES
• Wednesday night was the first meeting between the two ball clubs.
• Purdue has seven wins through eight games for the first time since 2012-13.
• Ava Learn provided another spark off the bench with six points in 13 minutes.
• Jeanae Terry dished out six assists on Wednesday, her seventh game with five or more dimes.
• Despite the late run by Syracuse, the Boilermakers stills shot 46.2% in the fourth quarter.
• The Boilermakers tallied 13 points on 12 Orange giveaways, while Purdue kept Syracuse to just 16 points on 21 miscues.
UP NEXT
The Boilermakers will open Big Ten Conference play next Monday on the road at Michigan State. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. on the Big Ten Network.