WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue women’s basketball team shot 66.7% and connected on seven 3-pointers over the second half to knock off Rutgers 72-57 at Mackey Arena on Saturday afternoon.
The Boilermakers (12-13, 4-10) made 11 3-pointers at a 40.7% clip, while shooting 47.3% overall on the afternoon. Purdue posted their seventh double-digit 3-pointer game, matching the most by a Boilermaker squad in the last 25 years.
Purdue flipped 14 Rutgers (9-16, 1-13) turnovers into 22 points, while allowing just six points on 11 miscues.
The Boilermakers were led by a quartet in double figures. Kiki Smith connected on a trio of 3-points to finish with a team-high 17 points. The junior added six assists and four steals.
The program record holder for career 3-pointers, Madison Layden-Zay knocked down five triples to finish with 15 points. She moved her career tally to 262. The fifth year added four rebounds, four assists, one block and one steal.
Tara Daye was an efficient 6-of-8 from the field for 15 points, tacking on three rebounds, two assists and two steals. Nya Smith jumped back into double figures with 11 points with a trio of 3-pointers.
TOP STATS
After trailing by one at the break, the Boilermakers flew into the third quarter winning the frame 24-13. Purdue went 10-of-15 from the field with a trio of 3-pointers. Daye was a perfect 5-of-5 from the floor for 10 points, as six different Boilermakers put their name on the scoresheet in the period. It was the 10th the Boilermakers scored 20 or more points in the third quarter this season. Purdue turned defense to offense with 14 points on seven Rutgers turnovers.
KEY MOMENTS
• The Boilermakers started 1-for-5 shooting, before connecting on three straight 3-pointers with two from Layden-Zay and one from Smith.
• Rutgers opened a 13-8 gap midway through the first, hitting on four of their first eight attempts, and leading 19-14 after the first.
• Neither side found much rhythm to start the second. The Boilermakers held Rutgers to just one field goal over the final 4:08 of the half.
• Purdue closed the first half on a five-point run to trail 27-26, despite shooting 28.6% over the opening 20 minutes.
• Daye scored six of Purdue’s opening eight points in the third, quickly erasing the halftime deficit for Purdue.
• After Rutgers cut the gap to two with 5:35 to play in the third, Layden-Zay hit a triple on back-to-back trips down the floor, before Kiki Smith added another triple to make it a 45-36 lead. Purdue carried a 50-40 lead to the fourth.
• A second-chance bucket from Avery Gordon kickstarted the fourth, before Layden-Zay and Kiki Smith extended the lead to 16 points with back-to-back 3-pointers.
• Rutgers trimmed the advantage down to 11 points with 4:21 to play, before Nya Smith and Kiki Smith combined for an 8-2 run to stifle any comeback effort.
• Purdue closed the game out going 8-of-12 from the field and 4-of-6 from distance in the fourth.
NOTES
• Purdue leads the all-time series 10-9 with a 5-3 mark at Mackey Arena.
• The Boilermakers are 11-2 this season when scoring 70 points or more and 11-2 when holding opponents under that mark.
• After allowing just six points off turnovers, the Boilermakers have surrendered just 13 points off miscues over the last three games.
• Daye finished in double figures for a team-leading 17th time this season.
• Layden-Zay finished one triple shy of her career high in 3-pointers. It was her eighth career game with five or more 3-pointers.
• Saturday was Layden-Zay’s 107th career game with a 3-pointer, matching Katie Gearlds for the most by a Boilermaker in the last 25 years.
• Layden-Zay passed Kelly Komara for 22nd on Purdue’s all-time charts with 1,278 points.
• Layden-Zay also passed Ashley Morrissette for 15th on Purdue’s career chart with 371 assists.
UP NEXT
The Boilermakers will play their penultimate regular season game at Mackey Arena on Thursday, Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. on B1G+. It will be the annual Hammer Down Cancer Game with a jersey auction and donations to benefit the Purdue Institute for Cancer Research.