WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue women’s basketball team improved to a perfect 7-0 at Mackey Arena this season with an 80-43 win over Dayton on Sunday afternoon. The Boilermakers (7-4) posted their third win of 35 points or more this season, tied for the most by a Purdue squad in the last 25 seasons.
Purdue set the tone on the defensive end, holding the Flyers (5-5) to just 43 points, the fewest given up by the Boilermakers in the Katie Gearlds era and tied for the 13th fewest in Purdue history. The Boilermakers held Dayton to 25.5% from the field and 6-of-23 from behind the arc. Purdue flipped 26 Dayton turnovers into 30 points, while recording a season-high 14 steals.
Hila Karsh paced Purdue with 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting with a trio of 3-pointers. Karsh notched a career-high five steals in the win. Tara Daye posted her second straight double-double and fourth of the year with a 15-point, 12-rebound outing to go with two assists and a block.
Kiki Smith poured in 16 points and added two rebounds, two assists and two steals. Madison Layden-Zay jumped back into double figures for the first time in five games with 10 points, a pair of 3-pointers, three rebounds, five assists and three steals.
On the offensive end, Purdue shot 41.7% from the floor, 10-of-24 (41.7%) from distance and a perfect 10-of-10 at the line. The Boilermakers finished with 17 assists on 30 made field goals.
TOP STATS
Purdue went on a 21-point run in the second quarter to open a 30-point gap. It was the second run of 20 points or more this season. Layden-Zay connected on a pair of 3-pointers, while Kendall Puryear scored five of her nine points in the sprint. The Boilermakers connected on 8-of-12 field goals on the run, while forcing seven missed shots.
KEY MOMENTS
• Purdue opened the game on a 14-2 run with four points from Karsh. Dayton did not score until the 5:08 mark of the first.
• Purdue forced 10 turnovers in the opening frame and held Dayton to 2-of-12 shooting.
• Kiki Smith led Purdue with five points in the first.
• The Boilermakers blew the game open in the second, scoring 30 points, their second game with 30 or more points in the second.
• Karsh tallied eight points on 3-of-3 shooting with two 3-pointers and Daye added seven points and five rebounds.
• The Boilermakers did not commit a turnover in the second quarter, while shooting 60% from the floor.
• Purdue led 44-12 at the break, behind 50% shooting and holding Dayton to 4-of-23 on field goals.
• The Boilermakers shot an even 50% in the third quarter with Karsh, Smith, Daye and Lana McCarthy all chipped in five points.
• Twelve of Purdue’s 23 points in the second were in the paint.
• Kendall Puryear went 4-of-4 at the line, as Purdue put away the game in the fourth quarter.
NOTES
• Dayton leads the all-time series, which dates back to 1979, 7-8.
• Purdue has held four opponents to 50 or fewer points this season, already the most by a Purdue squad since 2018-19.
• The Boilermakers were a perfect 10-of-10 at the line. The first time Purdue had a perfect free throw percentage on 10 or more attempts since Dec. 28, 2017, at Rutgers (10-of-10).
• Purdue recorded 14 steals, its highest tally since Feb. 25, 2024, at Wisconsin.
• Madison Layden-Zay posted her 57th career game in double figures, moving into sole control of 29th in Purdue history.
• Layden-Zay connected twice from the outside, giving her 228 for her career. She is 10 shy of Katie Gearlds for third on Purdue’s all-time list and 16 away from Karissa McLaughlin’s all-time record.
• Layden-Zay’s three steals brought her level with MaChelle Joseph and Ukari Figgs for 20th on Purdue’s career chart.
• Karsh finished with a game-high plus-minus of 37 in 28 minutes of work.
UP NEXT
Purdue will have the week off for finals, before returning to Mackey Arena for the final non-conference game of the year against Jackson State at noon next Sunday.