Purdue Rolls Past Evansville, 91-49

by Ian MacDougall, Purdue

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue women’s basketball team rode hot shooting a solid defense to roll to a 91-49 win over Evansville on Wednesday night in Mackey Arena. The Boilermakers’ 42-point win was the largest under head coach Katie Gearlds and give Purdue a 5-0 record at home this season.

On the offensive end, the Boilermakers (5-3) put four players in double figures, led by Kiki

Smith’s 16 points on 6-of-10 field goals with a trio of 3-pointers. Freshman Hila Karsh led Purdue with a game-high four assists, as Purdue dished out a season-high 23 helpers on 37 made shots. It was Purdue's highest assist tally since Dec. 21, 2024, with 27 against Indiana State. 

The Boilermakers shot 57.6% from the field for their fourth game making over half their shots this season. Purdue knocked down six 3-pointers with Hila Karsh, Madison Layden-Zay and Nya Smith joining Kiki Smith behind the arc.

On the glass, Purdue finished plus-21, 47-26. The Boilermakers turned 13 offensive rebounds into 17 points, while allowing just four second chance points by the Purple Aces (2-6). Purdue scored 25 points off 17 Evansville turnovers, while recording a season-high 13 steals, its highest tally since Feb. 25, 2024, at Wisconsin.

The Boilermakers held Evansville to 29.3% shooting from the field and 6-of-29 (20.7%) from behind the arc.

TOP STATS

Purdue’s posts combined to score 43 points on 19-of-26 shooting with 20 rebounds and two blocks. Kendall Puryear notched a career-high 14 points to go with five rebounds in 14 minutes of work. Lana McCarthy was an efficient 6-of-7 from the field for 13 points and six rebounds. Avery Gordon turned in a career-high 10 points, and Saige Stall tied for a game-high eight rebounds with six points.

Purdue scored a season-high 62 points in the paint.

KEY MOMENTS

• Purdue opened the night on a 15-4 run, knocking down six of their first nine shots.

• Kiki Smith went 4-of-6 from the field, including a pair of triples, in the first quarter to score 10 points.

• Purdue hit three times from the outside with the third coming from Hila Karsh, as the Boilermakers led 22-10 after the first.

• Purdue extended its lead to 24 points, 46-22, at the break, after forcing seven turnovers in the second quarter.

• The Boilermakers hit 11-of-18 (61.1%) field goals in the second quarter with eight different players finding the scoresheet in the frame.

• Purdue tallied its most points coming out of halftime with 26 in the third on 10-of-16 (62.5%) shooting.

• Nya Smith and Kendall Puryear scored six points in the third. Purdue opened the gap to 40 points after a 20-4 run to start the half.

• Purdue closed the game out shooting 8-of-13 from the field in the fourth. The Boilermakers outrebounded Evansville 12-6 in the final frame and held the visitors to just 3-of-13 shooting.

• Purdue allowed just three points in the first 7:06 of the fourth, going on a 12-3 run over that span.

• Carley Barrett scored her first career points shortly after checking in with a steal and layup to push the lead to 46 points, Purdue’s largest of the season.

NOTES

• Purdue leads the all-time series with Evansville 3-0.

• The Boilermakers tallied their second highest output in a half this season with 46 points in the opening 20 minutes.

• Madison Layden-Zay led the team with a career-high eight rebounds. She is now 40 rebounds away from becoming the sixth Big Ten player to amass 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 300 assists, 200 3-points and 50 blocks in a career.

• Layden-Zay’s lone 3-pointer of the night pulls her within 21 of Karissa McLaughlin’s career record of 244. She is 15 shy of Katie Gearlds for third in Purdue history.

• Purdue is 40-18 over the last five seasons when forcing 15 or more turnovers.

• The Boilermakers’ 91 points tied for the fifth most in the last five years, while Evansville’s 49 points were the third fewest surrendered by a Boilermaker squad in that span.

• Purdue is 6-0 under head coach Katie Gearlds when holding opponents to 50 or fewer points.

• Eight different Boilermakers recorded a steal on the evening, matching the most in the Gearlds era.

• The Boilermakers scored 20 or more points in three quarters for the third time this season.

UP NEXT

Purdue will open Big Ten play on the road on Sunday when it heads to No. 6/8 Michigan. Tipoff on the Big Ten Network is set for noon.