WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue women's basketball team pulled away in the second half to a 76-61 win over Northwestern on Sunday at Mackey Arena. At 17-7 on the year and 8-6 in the Big Ten, the Boilermakers matched their win total from head coach Katie Gearlds' first season in 2021-22.
The senior class accounted for 62 of Purdue's 76 points in the win. Redshirt senior Caitlyn Harper led all scorers with 18 points on 6-of-11 shooting and went 6-of-8 at the line.
A few days after becoming Purdue's fifth player to make 200 career 3-pointers, fifth-year senior Cassidy Hardin connected from the outside four times to finish with 16 points. The Bargersville, Ind., native added five rebounds and a season-high three assists.
Lasha Petree was a perfect 5-for-5 at the line to notch 12 points, and Abbey Ellis followed suit with 11 points with a 4-for-4 effort at the charity stripe.
For the second time this season against the Wildcats (8-17, 1-13), the Boilermakers scored 25 points off turnovers, coming from 18 Northwestern giveaways. Purdue limited its miscues to just 10.
Purdue shot 43.1% from the field and 6-of-20 from behind the arc. The defense held Northwestern to 39% shooting, the 13th time this season the Boilermakers kept an opponent below 40% .
Twenty-six of Purdue's points came at the line on 30 attempts. Madison Layden matched her career high by making all six of her attempts. The Boilermakers made 25 free throws for the second time this season. The 26 makes were the most since March 17, 2017, against Green Bay.
Purdue's defense set the tone in the first quarter, forcing four turnovers that led to six points. Harper scored six points, including four in a 9-0 run for the Boilermakers midway through the frame. Purdue went 7-of-8 at the line an held a 14-12 lead after one.
In the second, Hardin connected on all three of Purdue's 3-pointers, as the hosts went 6-of-11 from the field. Harper added another five points. Northwestern leveled the score early in the second, before the Boilermakers went into the break with a 35-29 lead thanks to an 11-6 run late in the half.
Purdue spread the ball around in the third as seven different players combined to score 24 points, led by seven from Petree. Half of the points for the Boilermakers came in the paint. After Northwestern cut the lead to five early in the period, Purdue rolled off 10 straight points and never saw its lead shrink to single digits.
Midway through the fourth, Northwestern went on a 9-2 run to cut the gap down to 10 with 2:05 to play. Jeanae Terry finished a layup through contact, before Purdue the game away by making its final six free throws. The Boilermakers went 13-of-15 at the line in the second half and dished our nine assists on its 13 made field goals.
NOTES
• Purdue leads the all-time series with Northwestern 52-26.
• The Boilermakers matched or better its win total from the previous full season for the first time since 2016-17.
• Jeanae Terry tallied seven rebounds and five assists for her 16th game of the year with at least rebounds and assists.
• Purdue scored 20 ore more points off turnovers for the seventh time this season.
• The Boilermakers improved to 11-1 when scoring 30 or more points in the paint.
• Abbey Ellis is now 62-of-69 at the line this season for an 89.9% clip on the year, which sits fourth in Purdue single-season history.
• Cassidy Hardin and Caitlyn Harper were efficient on both ends of the floor to finish with a plus-minus of 21 and 23, respectively.
• Purdue scored on 50% of its possessions on Sunday.
UP NEXT
The Boilermakers will play their penultimate home game of the season on Wednesday against Michigan State. The 7 p.m. tip will be the annual Fight Like a Boilermaker Pinkout Game. The Boilermakers will wear special pink uniforms that will be auctioned off to benefit the Purdue Institute for Cancer Research.