NORMAL, Ill. – Purdue (3-0) shot an efficient 52.8% (28-of-53) from the floor and 47.4% (9-of-19) from beyond the arc as it dealt the Illinois State women's basketball team (1-2) a 76-64 setback this evening in the Redbirds' home opener at Redbird Arena.
Redshirt sophomore Maya Wong led the Redbirds for the second game in a row with 14 points, going 6-of-7 (85.7%) from the free throw line. Senior Kayel Newland was a huge spark for ISU off the bench, connecting on 4-of-5 shots and two three-pointers to finish with 12 points on the night. Newland, along with junior DeAnna Wilson and graduate student Jada Stinson each grabbed a team-high six rebounds.
The Boilermakers were led by sophomore Madison Layden, who put up 18 points, also recording game highs in assists (5) and rebounds (7). Junior Abbey Ellis finished with 20 points on 9-of-12 (75%) shooting to help Purdue stay undefeated on the season.
TURNING POINT
The Redbirds got out to a hot start, taking an 8-2 lead three minutes into the first quarter after a pair of jumpers from fifth year Juliunn Redmond.
The Boilermakers responded quickly, with Purdue's Layden and Ellis combining for the next 15 points while holding the Redbirds to just two over the next four and a half minutes to take a seven-point lead. Purdue never trailed for the remainder of the game.
IN THE BOX SCORE
- The Boilermakers bested ISU in transition, outscoring the Redbirds, 13-3, in fast break points.
- Despite being outsized in nearly every position, Illinois State was only outrebounded, 30-29.
- Freshman Lexi Boles had a season-high six points off the bench, going 3-of-4 (75%) from the floor.
QUOTES FROM HEAD COACH KRISTEN GILLESPIE
On the hosting the Boilermakers for the home opener: "Anytime that you can have a Big Ten opponent come to your home floor and compete against them is something special for these young women."
On the importance of being tested early: "When you think about the teams in our league – the Drake's, the UNI's, Valparaiso, teams that live and die by the three – we have to learn this early and get better. I know when January rolls around we'll be prepared for that. I saw some good things tonight but there's still a lot that we need to work on."
UP NEXT
In a rematch from last year's WNIT, the Redbirds will hit the road to take on the UT Martin Skyhawks at the Kathleen and Tom Elam Center in Martin, Tenn on Saturday afternoon. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. CT with streaming available on ESPN+.
For all latest on Illinois State women's basketball, stay tuned at GoRedbirds.com and follow the team at @RedbirdWBB (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram).
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