No. 4 USC 79, Purdue women's basketball 37: “It felt terrible to be stuck in that quarter"

The Women of Troy outscored the Boilermakers 31-2 in the second quarter to extend their winning streak to 14

Thoughts from Thursday’s matchup at Mackey Arena:

• The Boilermakers drop to 0-8 in the Big Ten. They have lost seven straight.

• The 37 points are the fewest for the program since 2008 when it scored 36 at Michigan. The 42-point loss is the largest in a Big Ten home game, replacing the 37-point setback to UCLA on Jan. 7.

• At least it was different. The final score wasn’t different, but the script changed. The Boilermakers led 10-5 and 14-5 in the first quarter. USC was forced to use a timeout. The big crowd was into the game, giving Purdue some momentum. For the first time since Dec. 7 against Maryland, the Boilermaker held a lead after the first quarter in a Big Ten game. It was just one point, but it’s still a lead, right?

“I think it started with our warm-up,” Rashunda Jones said. “We changed it and tried to get our legs going early. Everybody knows that our quarters have been flat since the season started. Just the different warm-up to get our legs moving was the big difference.”

• And then the second quarter happened. The Women of Troy imposed their will on the boards, the defensive end, and in transition. The damage in the second quarter was significant. USC outscored Purdue 31-2, scoring the first 26 points. Jordyn Poole scored the Boilermakers’ only points on a jumper with 1:57 left before halftime. The team that started the game leading by nine morphed into the one we’ve been watching throughout the Big Ten season. Just 1 of 13 shooting and seven turnovers. USC controlled points off turnovers and second-chance points, not only in the first half but for the game.

“It felt terrible to be stuck in that quarter,” Jones said. “It feels like there's nothing you can do but go back into the locker room and tell each other that we have to be confident.”

• In case you’re curious, since the switch from two 20-minute halves, the program has been held scoreless once in a quarter. It was 2021 against Florida State. Purdue actually won the game.

Destini Lombard scored eight early points (Chad Krockover Photography)

• The opportunity to capitalize on the early success didn’t happen. Granted, USC is good - national championship good - but this was a moment to play with confidence and find some swagger.

• Katie Gearlds took a football approach to the matchup - control as many possessions as possible. But the halfcourt offense became stagnant after the initial burst, leading to challenged shots in traffic. Playing fast with USC didn’t seem to be a wise approach.

“First quarter tried to be intentional about doing that,” Gearlds said. “The second quarter, same thing, but we put ourselves in some bad spots with some turnovers. A lot of them were deadball turnovers, but we weren't getting shots in the last five minutes of the second quarter. We only had one turnover but couldn't throw it in the ocean.”

• Destini Lombard carried the offense early, scoring eight points of the team’s first 10 on two 3-pointers. But the transfer from Stephen F. Austin didn’t score the final 37 minutes.

VIDEO: Purdue Athletics Communications

• Points off turnovers: USC 26-5. Second-chance points: USC 18-1.

• Kendall Puryear had another solid game against a big frontline. She played well against UCLA and held her own on Wednesday. There were frustrating moments for Puryear but she kept battling and played with an aggressive approach. She was the only Boilermaker in double figures with 10.

• Another lopsided loss. Ten of Purdue’s 12 losses are by 16 points or more.

MORE: Box score | Chad Krockover Photography |

• JuJu Watkins was solid. She draws so much attention that her teammates thrive off her presence. She had 11 points at halftime, hitting 4 of 8 shots, but the supporting cast made 3-pointers and crashed the boards. Watkins finished with 16, the ninth time in the last two years she hasn’t scored at least 20. She made 6 of 15 field goals.

JuJu Watkins scored 16 points on Wednesday (Chad Krockover Photography)

• USC is good defensively, and UCLA is right there as the comparison between the league’s top two teams continues. The Bruins rank second nationally in field goal percentage defense, and the Women of Troy are No. 10 this week. After the first quarter, the Boilermakers made only 8 of 37 field goals and missed 12 straight 3-point attempts. With so much firepower, led by Watkins, does the defense get overlooked by those outside the program?

“I think we spend a lot of time on it,” coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. “We talk about it. I think our fans enjoy it. The block shots and the pressure we can put on people. I even think with JuJu, sometimes that goes unnoticed, how many blocks and steals and deflections she gets and the rest of the team. We take a lot of pride in it, and it allows us to play in transition.”

• Freshman Avery Howell scored a season-best 18 points, hitting 4 of 7 from 3-point range. Howell was 6 of 6 from the line. USC made 11 3-pointers.

VIDEO: Purdue Athletics Communications

• Transfer KiKi Iriafen suffered an ankle injury in the first half and didn’t play after halftime. Iriafen is a vital player for USC. If the game was closer, would she have returned? Plenty of time to recover with its next game on Jan. 30.

“I don't think she could have returned,” Gottlieb said. “We're hopeful that it won't be something too significant.”

• Similar to UCLA, USC brings plenty of size to the court. The Boilermakers can’t match up with the size and the athletic ability. Purdue will need to revamp its roster to challenge the current rosters of the top two teams in the Big Ten.