The Wildcats were again on the wrong end of a whipping Thursday night as No. 9 Purdue beat them 71-41. The loss marks the women’s basketball team’s fourth-consecutive Big Ten blowout defeat.
Turnovers once again made the difference for NU (7-8, 0-4 Big Ten). The Cats committed 28 for the game — 10 more than their season average — and Purdue (13-2, 3-1) capitalized on them for 28 points.
“We had way too many unforced errors,” NU coach June Olkowski said. “The (traveling violations) and getting the ball stripped showed a lack of focus at the task at hand for us.”
After being down 43-12 at halftime, NU came out with renewed vigor in the second period. The Cats matched their first half output in the first five minutes after the break and started the second session on a 7-0 run. While Purdue still cruised to the victory, NU outscored the Boilermakers 29-28 in the second half.
“We played more aggressively in the second half,” Olkowski said. “We made the shots we didn’t make in the first half, and we were able to push the ball down the floor. We also defended the ball much better and didn’t give up many open looks.”
The Purdue bench was a huge factor in the outcome of the game. The Boilermakers’ bench poured in 45 points, four more than the entire NU output. Leading the substitutes’ productivity was Purdue forward Erin Lawless, who scored a game-high 16 points and added a game-high five assists.
“They have a good, solid nucleus,” Olkowski said. “Everyone on the team continues to play hard all game.”
While Purdue showed the depth of its bench, NU struggled to find even five players who could provide a much-needed spark. The Cats still were missing junior point guard Samantha McComb because of a stress fracture and junior center Maria McCarthy, who was suspended for an unspecified rules violation.
Center Sarah Kwasinski wasn’t quite up to par. The junior center, who committed seven turnovers in Thursday’s game, is still suffering from a nagging finger injury and is coming off a viral infection that had her hospitalized for a night last week. But Kwasinski did score nine points and grab 10 rebounds against Purdue.
“This was a step in the right direction in her recovery,” Olkowski said. “She rebounded the ball and made some shots, but she has to secure the ball better. She had too many turnovers.”
With junior Melissa Culver scoring 13 points, Thursday marked the second straight game in which NU had only one player in double figures.
A bright spot in the loss was again freshman guard Breanne Smilie, who Olkowski said continues to meet and exceed expectations while filling in for McComb. Smilie played a game-high 35 minutes and scored eight points while dishing out a team-high four assists. She was solid in her first career start Sunday against Ohio State.
“She has continued to be the standout player on this team for the past few games,” Olkowski said.
The Cats will continue their Big Ten road trip Sunday as they travel to Bloomington, Ind., to face the Hoosiers (8-6, 1-2) in a 2 p.m. contest.
