By the numbers: How Purdue women's basketball defeated UT Arlington
The Boilermakers dominated inside and spoiled Shereka Wright's return to Mackey Arena
Five numbers of note from Sunday’s 73-55 victory over UT Arlington:
6
Lana McCarthy discovered NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar through a series of videos on YouTube.com. One of McCarthy’s youth coaches told her to look up the 7-foot-2 superstar who perfected the hook shot.
On Sunday, McCarthy scored six of her game-high 18 points via the hook shot, including one using her left hand.
“Definitely got some inspiration from him,” she said.
McCarthy has been working on the hook shot since she was in sixth or seventh grade growing up in New Hampshire. She’s brought it to Indiana looking to fine-tune another dimension to her offensive game.
“It's really an unguardable shot if you can nail it,” she said. “They were doubling from the baseline, which was leaving the middle open. I was able to get into that shot pretty easy, and then it's really trying to find that right balance, not too hard off the glass, not too soft. I've been working on it for a long time.”
10
Sunday marked the second game the Boilermakers have recorded double-digit steals. Is that a sign of improved defense? Sophie Swanson was active in the passing lanes, finishing with four. Swanson made a steal and scored a layup early in the third quarter to push the lead to 12.
“I think Sophie set the tone for us,” Purdue coach Katie Gearlds said. “They ran a little zipper play, and she shot the gap, and it got us two points to start the third quarter. When (Destini Lombard) is active, Sophie can get in passing lanes and play defense. We're still not quite there, but we're close to understanding what we want to do on the defensive end.”
The Mavericks shot 31.1% from the field and 18.9% from 3-point range, an improvement from their season average of 13.8%.
MORE: Mark Elsner Photography | Box score | Quick takes from Purdue’s win over UT Arlington
13
For a 5-foot-9 guard, it’s an impressive rebounding number. That’s what Lombard did against the Mavericks. The transfer from Stephen F. Austin grabbed eight rebounds in the first quarter, setting the stage for a career-high number and her first double-double, scoring 13 points. She rebounded well through the first five games, grabbing six in the opener against Purdue Fort Wayne and totaling five against Notre Dame. Her best rebounding game last season at SFA was nine, and she averaged 4.2.
“They weren’t boxing me out, so just go ahead and pursue the ball,” Lombard said.
Rebounding is also an equal opportunity situation.
“Rebounds are for anybody,” Lombard said. “It's nobody's ball.”
Lombard’s rebounding could hold a key for the transition game. She can push the ball up the floor and beat opponents to the rim before they can set their defense. That’s what Gearlds wants to see. Lombard can get the Boilermakers into their offense quicker than other guards, especially if she’s pulling down rebounds. The guards had 21 defensive rebounds on Sunday, an important statistic to track throughout the season.
“If I could get her to push the ball a little bit faster when she rebounds,” Gearlds said. “You think about when JT (Jeanae Terry) was able to get a defensive rebound, how much better we were in the open floor.
“Watch Notre Dame, and when (Hannah) Hidalgo gets a defensive rebound … when you're a lead guard, and not that Des is a lead guard, but getting her comfortable pushing the ball in transition to make plays for herself or other people.”
Lombard contributed more than points and rebounds. She had four assists, three steals, and no turnovers in 31 minutes.
VIDEO: Purdue Athletic Communications
42
With the lack of size inside, the combination of McCarthy, Reagan Bass, and Kendall Puryear delivered a big day. They accounted for 57.5% of the points and shot 65.3% from the field. Bass had seven points in the first quarter en route to her second consecutive double-double (14 points, 10 rebounds) as Purdue led by five. Puryear made 4 of 4 field goals for eight points in the second quarter, pushing the lead to 37-27 at halftime. McCarthy was a force in the second half, scoring 16 points after not attempting a field goal in the first half due to early foul problems. McCarthy continues to work on limiting her fouls. She played just over three minutes in the first half after picking up two fouls. McCarthy finished with four and has committed 20 through five games. It’s part of the learning process for the freshman.
“That's the biggest thing that's holding (me) back and limiting my minutes so far,” McCarthy said. “I think it's a learning curve, just learning how to use my body better, how to get position, how not to move my arms down. But sometimes fouls are just inevitable.
“I'm kind of just a big person, pretty easy to get fouls on. Sometimes, it's going to happen, but just knowing how to play smarter when I pick up one or two early on. The more the season goes on, the better I'll get at that.”
Video: Purdue Athletic Communications
48
Another strong rebounding game in a victory. Is this the key to success? It doesn’t hurt to win the board battle, but the Boilermakers were +15 against the Mavericks and are now +51 in their four wins. In the lone loss, Notre Dame outrebounded Purdue by 25. It’s something to watch this week in Fort Myers when the Boilermakers take on Middle Tennessee State and No. 1 South Carolina, which lost to UCLA on Sunday. The Blue Raiders hold a +1.8 rebounding margin over their opponents, but the Gamecocks rank sixth nationally at +16.4.
Video: Purdue Athletic Communications