Purdue women's basketball week in review: What we learned, what we don't know
The losing streak reached four after losses to Penn State and Indiana, but could Sunday's performance lead to breaking the skid?
The week in review for the Boilermakers:
3 THINGS WE LEARNED
• Purdue can play at a high level against quality competition, but – this applies more to what we don’t know – can the Boilermakers play with this type of effort and energy when there are 3,000 fans on the road, similar to what the environment will be Wednesday at Michigan State?
That’s what you want to see. If Sunday was a one-time performance because it was Indiana, not sure progress is coming.
“We can’t just play hard when we play against Indiana,” coach Katie Gearlds said. “We have to have the will and the want to win every single time. It’s got to go on the road with us.”
The Boilermakers need Sunday to be a step forward and carry over to Michigan State, Ohio State and throughout the second half of the season. The midway point of the Big Ten season is this weekend and taking steps back heading into February isn’t a good sign.
• A team that seemed a little disconnected in the previous two games against Maryland and Penn State, played together and offered a form of cohesion we haven’t seen a lot this season against high-level opponents.
But there was a feeling of unity on the court Sunday.
Again, was it Indiana or a potential turning point?
Purdue freshman Mary Ashley Stevenson grabs a rebound vs. Indiana (Dave Wegiel Photography)
“There was a different connectivity around us on the bench,” Gearlds said. “That was the message – ‘you showed us that you can do it, so it’s got to go on the road.’ I’m not talking about days when you turn the ball over, you don’t make shots. Something inside here (pointing to her chest) has to travel and has to be there every single game.”
• The Boilermakers want to win. The players. The coaches. The support staff. The fans. There’s no denying that but when a freshman is leading the parade of winning is the only thing that matters, you are setting a tone for the future of the program.
That’s what Rashunda Jones said Sunday. Jones is used to playing well and winning after her high school career at South Bend Washington produced memorable moments for her and her teammates.
Saying it and doing it are two different things and it appears this freshman class is prepared to back up their words.
“We played well, but we didn’t win,” Jones said. “We’re trying to win. Whether I played good or bad, at the end of the day, ‘Yeah, it feels good,’ but the end goal is to win.
“If we continue to play together and continue to keep our focus on the main goal, which is to win, that’s what makes everything come together.”
3 THINGS WE DON’T KNOW
• Will Purdue find a level of consistency on the offensive end and rid itself of the extremes? From 29 points in the first quarter to eight in the second is a perfect example.
• How can the Boilermakers prevent a bombardment of 3-pointers from opposing teams? Iowa made 15. Indiana hit 15. Maryland and Penn State combined for 14. The last four opponents have made 23 more 3-pointers than Purdue and scored 132 points – an average of 33 per game - from beyond the arc. Conference teams are shooting 40.7% from 3-point range against the Boilermakers.
• Are Jones and Mary Ashley Stevenson locks for spots on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team? It would be hard to keep them off right now.
PLAYER OF WEEK
Jones. Easy choice after she scored 23 points in 24 minutes at Penn State and totaled 13 in 20 minutes against Indiana, including big plays in the third quarter. She made 11 of 24 field goals, was 12 of 16 from the line and 2 of 2 from 3-point range. Jones had just two turnovers in a combined 44 minutes. She’s averaging 14.4 points in home games. Beyond the numbers, Jones’ attack mindset is a welcome sign to keep the offense moving forward.
WEDNESDAY’S GAME
Purdue (9-9, 2-5) at Michigan State (13-5, 3-4)
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Streaming: B1G+
Radio: BOB-FM