Freshman Hila Karsh Already Delivering in Big Ways for Purdue
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Hila Karsh has only been with Purdue's program since July, but on Tuesday night, she looked like she had been wearing the black and gold for years. In a hard-fought game against Eastern Illinois, it was the 21-year-old freshman who pulled through for the Boilermakers.
In just her second game at Purdue, Karsh scored 24 points, making 5-of-7 shots from three-point range and connecting on 9-of-14 attempts from the floor. She also collected seven rebounds and dished out four assists in an 82-67 win for the Boilers.
Karsh had no qualms about firing shots up on Thursday night at Mackey Arena. If she had a step or a small window, she was going to pull the trigger. All because she made a promise to coach Katie Gearlds before the game.
"I promised coach I would make four three-point shots, and I did it," Karsh said with a laugh. A few minutes later, Gearlds said, "She had five, so she lied."
GO OFF HILA 🔥🔥🔥
— Purdue Women's Basketball (@PurdueWBB) November 7, 2025
Her fourth triple. pic.twitter.com/bkZiLgtMkU
The freshman got things going early, finishing the first quarter with a team-high five points. She added six more to her total by halftime. Karsh then scored eight in the third and five more in the fourth. She connected on 3-of-4 shots behind the arc in the final 20 minutes.
For a rookie, these early-season games can be cause for early jitters. But Karsh has looked comfortable in each of her first two games in West Lafayette. She credits her experience playing in Israel, as well as the support from her teammates.
"I have experience. It's my first year in college, yes, but I have experience," Karsh said. "And my teammates give me a lot of confidence. We really love each other, play for each other. Every shot I make, everyone jumps on me. I think that's a team with really good chemistry."
Karsh's success on Thursday night didn't simply come from her willingness to fire when ready. She also got some help from Gearlds, who told her that there would be a better effort to get the guard the basketball in scoring situations.
Mid-range Hila 💰 pic.twitter.com/tLtpBVRQJd
— Purdue Women's Basketball (@PurdueWBB) November 7, 2025
Gearlds said the Boilermakers didn't do a good enough job finding her in Monday night's win over Fairleigh Dickinson.
"First of all, last game, she had it going. She was 4-of-5 and we just did a really poor job of finding her," Gearlds said. "I told her I was going to be a little more intentional to get our team to really look for her. But she needed to take the lead and be aggressive, because I do think she passed up some open opportunities on Monday."
She didn't pass up many opportunities on Thursday, and her aggressiveness helped Purdue improve to 2-0 on the season.
Karsh shooting almost 70%
Karsh has many skills, but her shooting ability is one of her greatest strengths. Through Purdue's first two games, she's demonstrated just how lethal she can be when she's given a window of opportunity.
She's made 13-of-19 field goal attempts so far, a 68.4% success rate through two games. She's a perfect 5-of-5 at the free throw line and has knocked down 5-of-7 three-point attempts.
That's why Gearlds has made an intentional effort to get the ball in Karsh's hands frequently. Not only is she an excellent shooter, but she's a smart decision-maker.
Pretty good night by the rook 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/Bq4b15LXNm
— Purdue Women's Basketball (@PurdueWBB) November 7, 2025
"She shoots the heck out of the ball. I mean, when she shoots it, I just think it's going in every time," Gearlds said. "Her understanding of the pace of the way the game is supposed to be played, the spacing. She'll be the first one to tell you, she won't take a bad shot. She'll pass up a good shot for a better shot. She makes our basketball team pretty good."
It may only be two games, but Karsh has all the qualities of a winner. She's been a major piece of Purdue's success through these first two games. Gearlds only expects her star freshman to get better as the season continues.
"The kid has knowledge, she's experienced, high, high, high IQ basketball player," she said. "She's just going to continue to get better, because she works her tail off."
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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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