WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue women’s basketball team will open up Big Ten play on Sunday afternoon with a noon tip at No. 6/8 Michigan on the Big Ten Network with Jason Ross Jr. and Shimmy Miller on the call.
Tim Newton will be on the air for the Purdue Global Radio Network, including the statewide stations, on 95.3 BOB FM.
The Boilermakers improved to 5-0 at Mackey Arena this season with a 91-49 win over Evansville on Wednesday night, matching their largest win under head coach Katie Gearlds. The Boilermakers put four players in double figures, led by Kiki Smith’s 16 points. Purdue dished out a season-best 23 assists on the night, while shooting 57.6% from the floor.
Purdue is going for its first win in a Big Ten opener since knocking off Michigan State 76-71 in overtime during the 2022-23 season. A win over the Wolverines would mark Purdue’s fourth ranked victory under Gearlds and the first since downing No. 2 Ohio State in Columbus in 2022-23. All three of Purdue ranked wins over the last five seasons have come away from home.
GAME NOTES
• Purdue leads the all-time series with Michgian 53-26 with a 22-14 series lead in Ann Arbor.
• The Boilermakers are back on the road looking for their first win away from Mackey Arena this season, after starting the year 5-0 at home and outscoring opponents by 23.4 points per game in West Lafayette.
• Purdue’s posts combined to score 43 points on 19-of-26 shooting with 20 rebounds and two blocks against Evansville. Kendall Puryear notched a career-high 14 points to go with five rebounds in 14 minutes of work. Lana McCarthy was an efficient 6-of-7 from the field for 13 points and six rebounds. Avery Gordon turned in a career-high 10 points, and Saige Stall tied for a game-high eight rebounds with six points.
• Matching her career high in rebounds with eight against Evansville on Wednesday night, Madison Layden-Zay is now 40 rebounds away from becoming the sixth player in Big Ten history with 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 300 assists, 200 3-pointers and 50 blocks.
• Layden-Zay continues to have the hot hand behind the arc, ranking third in the Big Ten and 26th nationally with a 47.2% clip on a team-high 17 3-pointers.
• Tara Daye continues to have a career year with 10.8 points and 6.9 rebounds per night. Daye is one of four guards in the Big Ten to average better than 10.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game this season.
• Kiki Smith leads the team with 11 points per game and sits second with 14 made 3-pointers on the year. The Topkea, Kan., native has knocked down three or more triples four times, tied for the most in the Big Ten.
• The Boilermakers have dished out 20 or more assists twice this season. Purdue is 23-1 over the last five seasons when recording 20 assists.
• On the glass, Purdue ranks seventh nationally and second in the Big Ten in defensive rebounding percentage, grabbing 78.5% of missed shots on the defensive end. The Boilermakers are holding opponents to just 6.8 second chance points per game.
• Lana McCarthy returned to the lineup against Evansville after coming off the bench the previous games. Over her last four outings, McCarthy is averaging 11.5 points and 7.0 rebounds, while shooting 79.2% from the field.
• After scoring six points over three games, freshman Hila Karsh has posted back-to-back outings with nine points. Karsh matched her career high with four assists against Evansville.