COLUMBUS, Ohio. – For the first time in program history, the Purdue women’s basketball team knocked off a top-5 ranked opponent on the road. On Sunday, the Boilermakers pulled off a 73-65 win over No. 2 Ohio State at Value City Arena.
The Boilermakers (15-6, 6-5) built up a 17-point lead early in the third quarter, only for Ohio State (19-3, 8-3) to storm back and tie the score at 58-58 with 4:28 to go in the fourth. From there, the Boilermakers stood on tough defense and the scoring prowess of Madison Layden and Abbey Ellis to pull off the win.
Purdue went on a 7-0 run with scores on three straight possessions after Ohio State tied it up. Layden twirled her way through the Ohio State defense to unleash a floater in the late with 3:39 to put Purdue back ahead for good. The junior then connected on a corner triple on the Boilermakers’ ensuing possession, before Ellis added a jumper with 2:15 to play.
The Buckeyes pulled within six with a little over a minute left, before Ellis silenced the crowd of 8,664 with a step-back triple as the shot clock expired. Purdue closed the game on a 15-7 run.
Ellis dropped 26 points on 9-of-16 shooting with five 3-pointers. She was joined in double figures by Cassidy Hardin with 15 points, who also connected on a quintet of triples. Caitlyn Harper tallied 12, while Layden added 10 points off the bench with seven coming in the final quarter.
Jeanae Terry had another all-around performance with eight points, seven rebounds, eight assists and four steals.
The Boilermakers shot 43.1% from the field and connected on a season-high 13 3-pointers, which tied for the fifth-most triples in program history. Purdue dished out 17 assists on 25 made field goals, while going 10-of-11 at the line.
Purdue’s defense held Ohio State to just 7-of-28 from behind the arc, while the Buckeyes shot 41.7% for the game. The Boilermakers flipped 15 turnovers into 22 points.
The Boilermakers jumped out in front in the first quarter with seven 3-pointers. Hardin went 3-for-3 behind the arc, while Ellis rolled off 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting. The defense turned four OSU turnovers into 11 points, while holding the Buckeyes to just 5-of-15 shooting in the opening frame.
The Boilermakers matched any run by the Buckeyes early in the second quarter. Jayla Smith cut through the lane for a tough layup, before Harper connected on a 3-pointer at the top of the arc to open a 15-point lead with 4:52 to play. Ellis tacked on her 14th points of the quarter on a 3-pointer to give the Boilermakers a 41-29 lead after one.
Purdue shot 46.7% from the field and went 9-of-17 from distance in the first half.
Harper got things started in the third with a traditional 3-point play, before Ellis drove the lane to make it a five-point run. Ohio State chipped away at the gap with a 12-2 run midway through the period. Terry put Purdue back in front by 11 with a tough finish at the rim with 2:29 to play. The lead was eight going into the final period.
In the fourth, the hosts erased the deficit over the first 5:32 of the period with a 14-6 run. The Boilermakers made two of the first seven shots in the period. With Layden’s artsy finish in the lane, Purdue closed the game making its final four shots and going 4-of-5 at the line in the final four minutes. Ohio State was held to just three of its final 10 attempts, with all of its misses coming from behind the arc.
DOWNING GIANTS
Purdue picked up its first ever win against the No. 2-ranked team in the country. The Boilermakers now have 19 wins all-time against AP top-10 teams. Purdue’s last win against a top-five opponent came against Texas A&M at Mackey Arena on Dc. 4, 2011, when the Aggies were ranked fourth.
NOTES
• Ohio State now leads the all-time series 49-32.
• The win was Purdue’s second in Columbus since 2004 and the first in Value City Arena in that span.
• Ohio State came into the game averaging 12.9 steals per game. The Boilermakers kept that number to just five on Sunday.
• Terry tallied her 11th game this season with at least five points, five rebounds and five assists.
• Terry sits second in the nation to Caitlin Clark with at least five rebounds and five assists in 14 games.
• Hardin’s five 3-pointers moved her into fifth in program history with 197 in her career.
• Harper has now finished in double figures in nine of the last 12 games.
• Ellis closed her week averaging 21 points per game while shooting 60% and 7-of-12 from behind the arc.
UP NEXT
The Boilermakers turn their attention to the first leg of the best rivalry in college basketball. Purdue will face its third straight ranked opponent when it hosts No. 6 Indiana at Mackey Arena next Sunday. Tip is set for 1 p.m. on FS1.