Purdue Comes Up Short vs. Illinois, But Post Play Provides Promise Moving Forward
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A 0-2 record in the Big Ten isn't where Purdue wants to be right now, but Sunday afternoon's 83-73 loss to Illinois did provide some reason for optimism with the brunt of the conference season ahead. The play of Kendall Puryear and Lana McCarthy in the post provided the Boilermakers something to build on moving forward.
Puryear scored 20 points, McCarthy added 10, and Madison Layden-Zay had 13 in the Boilermakers' loss to the Fighting Illini at Mackey Arena. The positive for Purdue, though, was its ability to dominate the painted area.
The Boilermakers scored 46 of their 73 points in the paint, an area Illinois struggled to defend all afternoon. Getting that type of production on the interior can become a strength for Katie Gearlds' squad, especially for a team that has been inconsistent from the three-point line this season.
McCarthy was the one who got off to a hot start, scoring six of her 10 points in the first quarter. Puryear closed out the game with a huge fourth quarter, scoring 12 points and going 5-of-5 from the floor.
"I felt like my coaches trusted me to take those shots, my teammates did," Puryear said. "I felt like I was put in a great position to succeed. I just shot it."
Purdue's play on the interior was the biggest reason it was able to stay in Sunday's game. The Boilers were ice-cold from the three-point line, going 0-of-8 in the first half and making just 3-of-14 for the game. They also struggled at the free-throw stripe, connecting on only 8-of-15.
If a few more of those shots fall, Purdue finds itself in a much different position. Still, big runs by Illinois in the first and third quarters really put the Boilermakers behind the 8-ball.
Illinois jumped out to an early 13-4 lead and owned a 28-18 advantage after the first 10 minutes. Purdue closed the gap to 40-38 by the end of the half. The Fighting Illini closed out the third quarter on an 8-0 run to take a 14-point advantage into the final quarter before the Boilers made a late push to cut the lead to six.
Gearlds was proud of her team's effort to continue fighting, but said that her team's play in the second and fourth quarters have to be the team's identity for a full 40 minutes.
"Those quarters, defensively, have to be our identity," Gearlds said. "We took good shots ... we didn't allow them to get out in transition, we scored the basketball. When we are able to set our half-court defense, especially against a team like Illinois, where it's set after set after set and you can help your team through what they're going to run, I thought we were pretty good."
Purdue prepares for Ohio State
Life in the Big Ten never gets easier. Purdue would have loved to knock off Illinois to get to .500 in conference play and carry some momentum into the New Year's Eve game against No. 19 Ohio State.
But the Boilermakers have to find a way to prepare for an extremely skilled Buckeyes squad, one coming off a tight 82-75 loss to No. 4 UCLA on Sunday.
"They're a pretty different team [from Illinois]. Illinois runs set after set after set, and Ohio State doesn't run a bunch of sets," Gearlds said. "They're going to press, turn you over. They want to play in the open floor, and if you can take care of the basketball, you'll give yourself a chance to win the game."
Purdue and Ohio State are scheduled for a 12:30 p.m. ET tipoff and the game will air on Big Ten Network.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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