WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue women’s basketball team heads into a must-win regular-season finale to reach the Big Ten Tournament when it travels to Northwestern on Sunday afternoon for a 3 p.m. ET tip on B1G+.
Tim Newton will call the action from Welsh-Ryan Arena on 95.3 BOB FM and the Purdue Global Radio Network.
GAME INFORMATION
Purdue (12-16, 4-13) vs. Northwestern (8-20, 2-15)
Sunday, March 1, 2026
Time: 3 PM ET
TV/Stream: B1G+
Radio: 95.3 BOB FM
Live Stats: purdue.statbroadcast.com
LAST TIME OUT
The Boilermakers saw their second-half comeback bid fall short in a 71-65 loss to Oregon on Wednesday night at Mackey Arena. Nya Smith matched her season-high with 20 points, while Lana McCarthy tallied 18 points and Tara Daye 15. After trailing by as many as 15, Purdue trimmed the gap to a two-possession game in the fourth but could not complete the rally.
NOTES
• The Boilermakers will square off with Northwestern head coach Joe McKeown in his final game, wrapping up a historic 40-year career. Purdue is 17-10 all-time against McKeown.
• Katie Gearlds and Joe McKeown first faced each other on Nov. 25, 2005, at the Grand Bahama Junkanoo Jam. McKeown's George Washington edged Purdue 49-47. Gearlds, then a junior for Purdue finished with six points and three assists.
• Nya Smith has powered Purdue's offense over the last four outings with a team-high 17 points per game, finishing in double figures in all four contests, while shooting 42.4% from the floor and 37.9% from distance on 11 3-pointers. The sophomore has also led the team in assists with 17 over the stretch and added five steals. All eight of Smith's double-digit performances have come in Big Ten play.
• Kiki Smith has finished in double figures in five of the last seven games. The junior has led Purdue in scoring, 14 points per game on 42.9% shooting, 3-pointers with 17 at a 40.5% rate and steals with 14. Smith has finished with 15 or more points in 11 outings, 10th most by a Boilermaker in the last 10 years. Smith is one of four Big Ten players to shoot 40% from the field, 40% from distance and 80% at the line in February.
• Purdue ranks second in the Big Ten, as opponents have generated just 12.8% of their points on second-chance opportunities, averaging less than 10 points per game.
• Purdue notched the fifth season in school history with 200 or more 3-pointers with 204 heading into Sunday, good for fifth on Purdue's single-season charts. Four of Purdue's 200-triple campaigns have come under head coach Katie Gearlds.
• Tara Daye posted her team-high 19th game in double figures this season with a 15-point performance against Oregon. This season, Daye has already eclipsed her point (342), rebound (186), field goal (127), 3-point (12) and free throw (76) tallies from her first three years of college basketball combined. She needs two assists and nine steals to pass those career marks.
• Lana McCarthy narrowly missed her third double-double of the year with 18 points and seven rebounds against Oregon. Both of her double-doubles this season have come off the bench.
• After not attempting a two-point shot through the opening 26 games, McKenna Layden has made two over the last two games. For the year, the junior is 19-of-42 from behind the arc and 2-of-3 inside it.
• The Boilermakers are 11-3 this season when scoring 70 or more points and 19-3 since the start of last year, while going 11-2 when holding teams to 70 points or fewer this year.