WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue women’s basketball team outscored IU Indy by 17 points over the final 12:05 of the game to rally to an 81-73 win in the season opener Monday night at Mackey Arena.
Purdue (1-0) had a quartet finish in double figures, marking the first time Purdue had four players with 15 or more points since Nov. 17, 2022, against SIU Edwardsville.
In their first game as Boilermakers, Hannah Wickstrom and Kyndall Hunter led the way on the offensive end with 21 points each. Wickstrom was an efficient 5-of-6 from the field, 2-of-2 from distance and 9-of-12 at the stripe. She tacked on eight rebounds and three assists. Hunter chipped in four boards, a pair of assists and a career-high four steals.
Fellow newcomer Jelena Bulajić tallied 17 points, with six coming in the final five minutes of the game. The Montenegrin international had an all-around night setting career highs with seven rebounds and six assists.
Returner Avery Gordon tallied 16 points in her fourth career start. The 6-foot-7 center was 6-of-8 from the field and topped her career high with eight rebounds and 24 minutes of action.
The Boilermakers shot 48.1% from the floor for the game and connected on five 3-pointers. Purdue was 24-of-32 at the line, its highest totals for makes and attempts since March 6, 2024, against Northwestern in the Big Ten Tournament.
IU Indy (0-1) jumped out to a double-digit lead in the first half by connecting on seven triples over the opening 20 minutes, while Purdue was 1-of-7 from distance in that span. The Boilermakers clawed back to take a 32-27 lead behind a 17-1 run in the second that did not allow the Jaguars to make a field goal for 6:39.
Purdue found its shooting touch in the second half, going 54.5% from the field and 4-of-6 from behind the arc. Twenty of Purdue’s 48 points in the final 20 minutes came at the line. Defensively, the Boilermakers held IU Indy to 35% shooting and just 2-of-9 from three in the second half, while converting eight turnovers into 10 points.
RALLY TO THE END
After IU Indy battled back to take a five-point lead at the break and extend it to nine with 2:05 to play in the third, the Boilermakers went on a 35-18 run. Purdue closed the game going 9-of-16 from the field and 14-of-16 at the line.
With the Boilermakers down four with 4:08 to play, Bulajić went on her own 5-0 run, knocking down a triple with 3:48 to go to put Purdue ahead for the first time since the second quarter. Wickstrom followed it up with back-to-back layups. Hunter, who tallied 12 of her points in the fourth, put the game away with a pair of 3-pointers on back-to-back trips down the floor.
Defensively, the Boilermakers held IU Indy to just 4-of-17 shooting with no triples in the final 12 minutes and forced five giveaways.
NOTES
• Purdue owns a 7-1 all-time record against the Jaguars with its third straight win in the series.
• The Boilermakers picked up their third win under Gearlds when trailing going into the fourth quarter.
• Purdue is now 25-12 under Gearlds when making 15 or more free throws.
• The Boilermakers are 27-2 since the start of the 2021-22 season when scoring 80 or more points. It was their 12th win when allowing 70 or more in that same span.
• Nine Boilermakers made their debut at Mackey Arena.
• Taylor Henderson got her first game action in 599 days after missing her first season at Purdue with an injury.
• Purdue’s starting five accounted for 79 of its 81 points.
UP NEXT
The Boilermakers will continue their four-game homestand to start the year with a 7 p.m. tip on Thursday evening against Eastern Michigan at Mackey Arena. It is the annual Hoops & Heroes Game. All military and first responders can purchase $2 tickets by clicking here.