Purdue Women’s Basketball Rallies, Knocks of No. 13 Michigan
The Boilermakers finished regulation on a 16-0 run to force extra time
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Purdue women’s basketball pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in program history Thursday, finishing regulation on a 16-0 run to force overtime and completing the comeback for an 81-79 victory at No. 13 Michigan. Sophomore Dominique Oden hit the game-tying shot in regulation and freshman Karissa McLaughlin buried a pair of 3’s in overtime to secure the win and earn their third straight win over ranked opponents this season.
Oden had her fifth straight game in double figures and her second straight 20-point outing, canning a team-high 26, hitting on 8-of-16 from the field and adding four rebounds, three assists and three steals. McLaughlin tied her career-high and matched a Purdue freshman single-game record for the second straight game, hitting six 3’s on her way to 21 points, and chipping in four assists. Sophomore Lamina Cooper also tied her career scoring high with 18 points, adding four rebounds, two assists and three steals.
Michigan shot at a torrid pace over the first 33 minutes, hitting at 65 percent through the third quarter and holding a 72-56 edge after an and-one from senior Katelynn Flaherty with 6:48 to play. The Boilermakers dug their heels in and held Michigan without a point for the remainder of regulation, rolling off 16 straight to tie the game with 0.7 second to play. They got contributions from everyone down the stretch, as five different players found the bottom of the bucket, including the game-tying shot from Oden.
The game was nearly stolen away from the Boilermakers as Michigan lobbed in the ball as time expired and a foul was called on the catch, giving the Wolverines two attempts for the win. Both fell by the wayside and the teams went back to their benches and got ready for another five minutes of action.
Michigan struck first in overtime, following the lead of Flaherty, but the Boilermakers answered each time. Sophomore Ae’Rianna Harris made a strong move to tie things up at 74-74, and McLaughlin answered a Flaherty triple with one of her own to knot it back up at 77-77. Flaherty put Michigan back on top with two free throws, but McLaughlin stepped up again, draining her second straight and giving Purdue an 80-79 edge with 22.9 second left. Once again the Purdue defense stepped up, getting the stop as Oden grabbed the steal and went to the free throw line to hit one and seal the win.
Purdue won for the fifth time in their last six outings, improving to 15-8 overall and 6-3 in Big Ten Conference play, while Michigan saw a six-game win streak end and fell to 19-5 (8-3 B1G). The Boilermakers return to action Sunday, heading to Illinois for a 2 p.m. ET tip on the Big Ten Network.
