LINCOLN, Neb. – The Purdue women’s basketball team could not climb out of a double-digit deficit in the first half in a 78-62 loss on the road to No. 20/25 Nebraska on Sunday afternoon.
The Boilermakers (8-7, 0-4) held the 13th ranked offense nine points below its season average and recorded 13 steals on 15 Nebraska (13-2, 2-2) turnovers to score 16 points, but the Cornhuskers shot 51.1% from the field and went 12-of-19 behind the arc.
Purdue was 44.2% from the floor and knocked down eight 3-pointers on 20 attempts on the afternoon. The Boilermakers put up 30 points in the paint, their 12th game over 30 this season, and flipped 10 offensive rebounds into 16 points.
Three Boilermakers finished in double figures, led by Tara Daye’s 12 points. The redshirt junior notched her 13th double-digit performance to go with six points and a season-high six assists.
Kiki Smith jumped back into double figures for the first time in three games with a 10-point outing with a pair of 3-pointers. Kendall Puryear added 10 points off the bench on 5-of-7 shooting with six coming in the fourth quarter.
The Layden sisters both finished with six points. McKenna Layden connected twice from the outside to match her season high, while Madison Layden-Zay finished with six points on a pair of triples. Layden-Zay passed head coach Katie Gearlds for third all-time on the Purdue 3-point chart. She is now five away from Karissa McLaughlin’s career record of 244.
KEY MOMENTS
• Nebraska jumped out to a 13-9, as Purdue stayed within striking distance with 3-pointers from Hila Karsh, Layden-Zay and Nya Smith.
• Purdue started the game 3-of-4 from behind the arc.
• The Boilermakers were 6-of-12 in the first quarter with four assists but trailed 22-17.
• After Nebraska extended its advantage to nine points early in the second, Purdue rolled off a 8-3 run, capped by a Smith triple.
• Following a nine-point run by the Cornhuskers, Purdue brought it back to single digits with layups from Karsh and Daye and a Smith triple.
• Trailing by 11 at the break, 43-32, the Boilermakers came out to win the third quarter.
• Seven different players scored in the frame with no one scoring more than three points.
• Puryear gave Purdue six points over the final 10 minutes on 3-of-3 shooting.
• The Boilermakers held Nebraska to 5-of-13 from the floor, but the hosts went 9-of-12 at the line to pull away in the fourth.
NOTES
• Nebraska leads the all-time series 13-10.
• Layden-Zay added one rebounds, three assists and one steal. She is now18 rebounds and 14 steals from becoming the second player in Big Ten history with 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 300 assists, 200 3-pointers and 50 blocks.
• The Boilermakers have knocked down seven 3-pointers in 74 games under head coach Katie Gearlds.
• Purdue lost the rebounding battle 29-28 and held the Cornhuskers to just four second chance points on seven offensive rebounds.
• The Boilermakers dished out 15 assists on 23 made baskets.
• Daye finished with five or more assists in a game for the second time in her career.
UP NEXT
The Boilermakers will hit the road for the second straight time on Thursday night with a 7:30 p.m. tip at Wisconsin on B1G+.