WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Postseason basketball is returning to Mackey Arena this week as the Purdue women's basketball team will host Southern Illinois in the first round of the 2022 WNIT, the tournament announced Monday. The Boilermakers will square off with the Salukis on March 16 at 7 p.m.
Tickets are officially on sale by clicking here or calling the Hayes Family Athletics Ticket Office at 765.494.3194. Season-ticket holders will receive an email from Purdue Athletics with an offer to purchase their usual seats through 5 p.m. Tuesday afternoon. After that time, they will be released to the general public for purchase.
Tim Newton will call the game on 95.3 BOB FM for the Purdue Radio Network, while the video stream will be provided through Big Ten Network+.
Purdue is 5-5 all-time against Southern Illinois and 1-1 in two games played after 1989. The most recent matchup was a 64-61 loss on Nov. 20, 2016.
The Boilermakers head into the postseason for the 30th time in program history and first since 2018 with a 16-14 mark under first year head coach Katie Gearlds. The Boilermakers made a nine-win improvement in 2021-22, marking the best turnaround by a Purdue coach in her first year and tying for fourth in program history.
Purdue set a new single-season record for 3-point makes and attempts, going 230-of-709 this season. Cassidy Hardin notched the fourth most triples in a campaign with 76, 12 away from the single-season record held by Katie Gearlds (2006-07) and Karissa McLaughlin (2018-19). Purdue is one of 28 teams national to feature a quartet of players with 30 triples or more (Hardin – 76, Madison Layden – 63, Brooke Moore – 35, Abbey Ellis – 31).
Layden, Ellis and Jeanae Terry garnered All-Big Ten honorable mention laurels at the end of the regular season. Terry ranks 12th and 13th nationally in assists and assists per game this season, respectively. Ellis is shooting 46% from the field and 87.4% at the line during her first campaign in West Lafayette. Layden is one of just six players nationally to have accumulated 130 rebounds (134), 80 assists (80), 60 three-pointers (63) and 45 steals (49).