WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — No. 16 Indiana women’s basketball trailed by as many as 9 points against Purdue on Sunday, but the Hoosiers outscored the Boilermakers 52 to 39 over the final three quarters to depart Mackey Arena with a 74-68 victory.
Ahead of the contest, Indiana’s Sydney Parrish was listed as questionable on the Big Ten availability report. The senior guard then emerged for warmups sporting a boot on her right foot alongside crutches. Sophomore guard Lexus Bargesser started in Parrish’s place, finishing with 0 points on 0-2 from the field.
Indiana jumped out to an early lead in the first quarter before Purdue took over in the second half of the opening frame. Behind 8 points from senior guard Madison Layden and 7 points from sixth-year senior forward Caitlyn Harper, the Boilermakers took a 29-22 lead at the conclusion of the first quarter.
Both squads began the game draining 3-pointers left and right. In the first 10 minutes of play, Indiana went 5-of-6 from 3-point range while Purdue went 3-of-4. While the Hoosiers were locked in from distance, the Boilermakers outrebounded them 11 to one in the first alongside a six to zero advantage on the offensive glass.
After a quick 2-point jumper to start the second quarter for Purdue, Indiana went on a 6-0 run to pull within 3 points. The Hoosiers closed the gap in the second quarter behind a pair of 3-pointers from fifth-year senior guard Sara Scalia, regaining the lead with 4:33 until halftime.
Despite starting scorching hot from the field in the opening minutes of the first half, both teams struggled in the final five minutes of the half, scoring just 8 points total. While they trailed for over 13 of the first 20 minutes, the Hoosiers led 39-37 at the break.
Coming out of halftime, Indiana senior guard Chloe Moore-McNeil opened the scoring with a mid-range jumper. A 7-0 Boilermaker run ensued, giving Purdue a 3-point lead.
The Hoosiers immediately followed with a 10-0 run of their own behind 5 points from Moore-McNeil — but the Boilermakers matched with their own 10-0 run.
Purdue freshman guard Rashunda Jones drained a deep buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter to give the Boilermakers a 54-51 lead.
Scalia drained her fifth 3-pointer of the day before graduate student forward Mackenzie Holmes sank her first 3-pointer of the season nearly two minutes later.
Moore-McNeil drained a lengthy step back 3-pointer at the top of the key with just over four minutes remaining to give the Hoosiers a 6-point lead. Although Purdue closed to within 5, Scalia drove to the basket and layed the ball in to give Indiana a 7-point lead. Scalia followed by hitting a 3-pointer with just over a minute remaining, effectively sealing the victory.
With the 74-68 victory, the Hoosiers secured the Barn Burner Trophy for the ninth consecutive season. Scalia and Moore-McNeil led all scorers with 20 points apiece.
Indiana (16-2, 7-1 Big Ten) now has a week before it returns to action at 2 p.m, Jan. 28, against Northwestern at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The contest will be streaming live on Big Ten+.
Follow reporters Dalton James (@DaltonMJames) and Quinn Richards (@Quinn_richa), columnist Ryan Canfield (@_ryancanfield) and photographer Olivia Bianco (@theoliviabianco) for updates throughout the Indiana women’s basketball season.
