WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue women’s basketball advanced to the Great 8 of the WNIT on Thursday night with a 71-50 win over Duquesne at Mackey Arena. The Boilermakers outscored the Dukes 42-28 in the second half and held the visitors to just nine points in the final period.
The Boilermakers (15-18) put four players in double figures, led by Abbey Ellis and Jayla Smith each with 15 points. Smith reached double digits for the second straight game this postseason and notched a season high in points on 5-of-9 shooting and a perfect 4-of-4 mark at the line.
Ellis turned in an all-around performance with 15 points on 6-of-13 shooting to go with six rebounds, four assists, one block and one steal. After reaching double figures for the 29th this season, Ellis pulled within 16 points of 2,000 for her career.
Sophie Swanson drained a quartet of 3-pointers to post 14 points. The Barrington, Ill., native has 41 3-pointers on the year, one shy of Katie Gearlds for seventh on the freshman season list. Mary Ashley Stevenson came up one rebound shy of a double-double. The New York City native tallied 13 points, nine rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block and one steal.
For the sixth straight game, Jeanae Terry posted double-digit rebounds. Terry finished with 11 boards to go with four assists. The fifth-year senior passed Katie Douglas for 12th in Purdue career rebounds with 729. Terry also moved within eight assists of Katie Douglas for second in Purdue career history and four shy of Lisa Jahner’s single-season assist record of 201.
Purdue’s defense stood tall all night against Duquesne (21-13), holding the Dukes to just 28.1% shooting from the field and 5-of-26 from beyond the arc. Purdue forced 17 turnovers and flipped them into 17 points, while allowing just eight on 13 miscues. Rashunda Jones matched her career high with a trio of steals.
Purdue held an opponent to 50 points or fewer for the fourth time this season, the most by a Boilermaker squad since 2019-20, while its 13 games of 60 points allowed or less were the most since 2018-19.
Purdue finished the game shooting 40.9% from the field and went 7-of-22 from behind the arc. After shaking off early shooting woes, the Boilermakers shot 46.8% over the final three quarters.
Stevenson and Ellis powered the Boilermakers through the opening 10 minutes with nine combined points, as the team shot just 5-of-19 from the field. Both sides were tied 11 after the first.
Duquesne took a one-point lead early in the second on a 3-pointer, before the Boilermakers took over on a 10-1 run with six points from Stevenson. Swanson nailed her first 3-pointer to open a nine-point gap with 2:46 to play. Purdue carried a 29-22 lead into the break. Ellis and Stevenson both had 11 points in the first half.
Jones and Swanson each tallied six points in the third quarter. Purdue built up a 14-point lead with 3:24 to play after Swanson and Smith scored 10 straight for the Boilermakers. Purdue led 50-41 heading into the fourth.
Smith took over in the fourth. The junior went on a personal 7-2 run to start the final frame, scoring 11 in the quarter. Purdue was 7-of-15 with a trio of 3-pointers in the fourth. On defense, the Boilermakers forced eight turnovers and kept the Dukes to just 4-of-19 shooting. Purdue surrendered just two points in the final 5:28 of the game.
Smith scored all 15 of her points in the second half.
NOTES
• Purdue and Duquesne met for the first time on Thursday night. Purdue is now 154-56 in first time matchups.
• The Boilermakers won the rebounding battle 44-39 with 16 second chance points on 11 offensive rebounds.
• Alaina Harper grabbed her Purdue best five rebounds and posted a plus-minus of 18 in 20 minutes on the floor.
• Purdue’s freshmen combined to score 33 points, marking their eighth game with 30 or more points this year.
• Purdue is now 5-1 this season and 13-4 in the last three years when holding a team to nine or fewer points in a quarter.
• Swanson joined a trio of Boilermakers for the program WNIT record of four 3-pointers.
• Terry moved up to ninth in Purdue single-season rebounds with 279.
• Through two games, Jeanae Terry has moved up to second in rebounds by a Boilermaker in a WNIT with 23.
• Smith has found her groove in the postseason with 13 points on 55.6% shooting with 4.5 rebounds.
UP NEXT
Purdue will face the winner of Colgate and Vermont, who will square off Friday night. Game date, location and tip time will be announced after its conclusion.
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