Purdue defense stifles Rutgers
After back-to-back losses, Purdue needed to get its defense back in gear as soon as possible.
It did so Wednesday, with a little help from offensively-challenged Rutgers.
The Boilermakers (16-11 overall, 7-6 in the Big Ten) beat the Scarlet Knights (6-20, 3-10) 55-42 in New Jersey, holding the hosts to only 24.2-percent shooting.
“Our defense was great and our offense was sluggish, but that’s how they want you to play,” Coach Sharon Versyp said on her post-game radio interview. “We had looks in the first half, we just didn’t knock them down. But the bottom line is it’s a win on the road and that’s all that matters.”
The Boilermakers started slowly — both teams did, each scoring only nine in the first quarter — but began to take over in the second. Then, Ashley Morrissette scored nine of Purdue’s 17, as it took a six-point lead into the half.
The margin reached 10 on Morrissette’s three-pointer three minutes into the third, then got to 14 when Lamina Cooper nailed a triple at 1:49.
Rutgers never again had the margin within 10, as it stretched as high as 17.
Purdue was playing without Dominique McBryde, who was out with an undisclosed injury, but Ae’Rianna Harris was solid in the spot-start. The freshman had a career-high 14 rebounds with eight points, five blocks and a steal in 32 minutes.
“She just understands the game and understands positioning and is just extremely aggressive,” Versyp said. She deserves all this, puts in extra work and is hungry for her team, playing for her seniors. She keeps getting better and better.”
Morrissette finished with 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting, with six assists, while Dominique Oden had 10.
The Boilermakers shot only 38 percent, but they scored 16 fast-break points and had only 11 turnovers.
Rutgers had only 16 field goals, exactly four in each quarter, and was led by Shrita Parker’s 11 points, the only Knight in double-figures.
“We played good defense and made them shoot it from the outside,” Versyp said.
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