WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue women’s basketball team will host No. 13/12 Iowa on Thursday night for the annual Hammer Down Cancer Game. Tipoff at Mackey Arena is set for 7 p.m. on B1G+. Purdue will debut new pink jerseys that will be auctioned off with proceeds going to the Purdue Institute for Cancer Research.
Tim Newton and Jane Schott will be courtside for the call on 95.3 BOB FM for the Purdue Global Radio Network, as well as the expanded statewide network.
GAME INFORMATION
Purdue (12-13, 4-10) vs. #13/12 Iowa (20-5, 11-3)
Thursday, Feb. 19
Time: 7 PM
TV/Stream: B1G+
Radio: 95.3 BOB FM
Live Stats: purdue.statbroadcast.com
PROMOTIONS
• Hammer Down Cancer
• Wear Pink
• Hammer Down Cancer Beanie Giveaway
LAST TIME OUT
The Boilermakers picked up their fourth win in Big Ten play last Saturday with a 72-57 decision over Rutgers. Kiki Smith paced Purdue with her 13th game in double figures, going for 17 points with a trio of 3-pointers. The Boilermakers connected on 11 3-pointers, with five coming from Madison Layden-Zay and surrendered just six points on 11 turnovers.
NOTES
• Madison Layden-Zay took her Purdue record 3-point tally to 262 with her five makes from behind the arc. Layden-Zay joined Caitlin Clark earlier this season as the only player in Big Ten history with 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 300 assists, 200 3-pointers, 200 steals and 50 blocks.
• The Boilermakers have protected the defensive glass this season with opponents generating 12.5% of their points on second chance opportunities, tied for second in the league. Purdue is allowing 8.9 second chance points per game, keeping opponents to nine or fewer second chance points in 15 games.
• The Boilermakers are to 11-2 this season when scoring 70 or more points and 19-2 since the start of last year, while going 11-2 when holding teams to 70 points or fewer.
• Avery Gordon became the first Purdue freshman since Ava Learn during the 2021-22 season to block three shots in a game. The 6-foot-7 rookie has stepped up since Purdue's trip to Los Angeles, posting four games in double figures, including a career-high 20 points against Michigan State in her first start.
• Tara Daye holds the team lead in scoring and rebounding and is on pace to be the first player to lead Purdue in both categories in the same season since Whitney Bays in 2015 and the 15th to do it in program history. She is one of four guards from the Big Ten and one of 10 guards from a major conference to average better than 12 points and 6.5 rebounds per game this season.
• Purdue has connected on 184 3-pointers this season, ranking 10th in single-season history. The Boilermakers have reached the top-10 in single-season triples in four of Katie Gearlds' five seasons at the helm.
• Purdue has spread responsibility around this season with eight different players leading a game in scoring, nine in rebounding, nine in assists, 11 in steals and 10 in blocks.
• The Boilermakers have taken care of the ball over the last three outings with 23 turnovers, including a season-low four against Penn State. Purdue has surrendered just 13 points off miscues over that span.
• The Boilermakers will also welcome 8-year-old Christopher as part of the Dream On 3 organization to meet his favorite player Nya Smith and experience a full game day at Mackey Arena.
• Kiki Smith has stepped up over the last four games with 14.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.5 steals per game, while shooting 47.5% from the floor with nine 3-pointers.
• The Boilermakers have made 10 or more 3-pointers in seven games this year, matching the highest total by a Purdue squad in the last 25 years (2021-22).
• Purdue has picked up four ranked wins under head coach Katie Gearlds with the most recent coming in January over No. 23 Washington, the program's first at Mackey Arena since 2018-19.