From: “Tanner D Lipsett” <tlipsett@purdue.edu>
Sent: Sunday, December 28, 2014 6:37:09 PM
Subject: Purdue Women’s Basketball Opens Big Ten Play with 62-55 Win at Illinois
Purdue Women’s Basketball Opens Big Ten Play with 62-55 Win at Illinois
Dec. 28, 2014
Final Stats | Notes
Senior Liza Clemons had a career-day, posting her third career double-double and a career-high five blocks.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Purdue women’s basketball team opened the 2014-15 Big Ten Conference season with a win on Sunday at the State Farm Center, holding on for a 62-55 win at the University of Illinois. Sophomore Bridget Perry led the Boilermakers with a career-high 19 points and 12 rebounds as they improved to 8-4 overall and 1-0 in conference play.
The Boilermakers got off to a quick start, hitting five of their first seven shots and racing out to a 10-4 lead. Meanwhile the Fighting Illini were ice cold from the field, and even with a late run finished just seven-of-35 (.200) for the half as Purdue took a 28-18 lead into the locker room. Purdue went the final nine minutes of the half without a field goal, but were sure to get to the free throw line instead, hitting eight-of-11 at the stripe to maintain its early edge.
Illinois got going after the break, hitting three second-half threes and erasing the Boilermakers’ advantage after about eight minutes. The Fighting Illini pulled within two on three occasions over the next few minutes and even took a 47-46 lead with 5:30 to play. Sophomore Ashley Morrissette came up clutch for the Boilermakers, hitting her only two shots of the game over the next three minutes, both from behind the arc and putting Purdue up by five with 2:54 left to play. Illinois pulled back within one, 54-53, but free throw woes plagued the Fighting Illini down the stretch as they finished 11-of-22 from the stripe. Senior Liza Clemons and junior April Wilson combined to hit eight straight free throws in the last minute to seal the Boilermakers’ victory, their seventh straight over Illinois and fourth in a row in Champaign.
Perry, Clemons and fellow senior Whitney Bays all turned in double-doubles, marking just the third time three players accomplished the feat in the same game in Purdue history. Clemons had 11 points and a career-high 14 rebounds, in addition to a career-best five blocks, while Bays had 11 points and 12 boards. Bays’ double-double is her third straight, sixth of the year and 14th of her career.
Senior Ivory Crawford led Illinois with 16 points, nine rebounds, four assists and three steals, while Jacqui Grant, Chatrice White and Kyley Simmons each had 10 points. Purdue held Illinois to just 29.9 percent from the floor (20-67) and 22.2 percent from three (4-18), while outrebounding the Fighting Illini, 54-34.
The Boilermakers continue conference play on Thursday, hosting Minnesota at 2 p.m. on New Year’s Day at Mackey Arena. The Golden Gophers entered today’s game against Nebraska at 11-1.
Tanner D Lipsett
Associate Athletics Communications Director / Social Media Specialist
Purdue University Athletics
900 John R. Wooden Drive
Mackey Arena – Room 2235
West Lafayette, Ind. 47907
Office: (765) 494-3197
Twitter: @TannerD13