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Published Oct 29, 2024
Purdue women mix and match lineups in exhibition win
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Israel Schuman  •  BoilerUpload
Staff Writer
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@ischumanwrites

What happens when a roster featuring three freshmen and four transfers hits its home floor for the first game of the year?

First, a lot of people play, and they all play a lot.

And since the opponent is from the NAIA, they win.

Purdue head coach Katie Gearlds played 10 deep against Indiana Tech Tuesday, mixing experience with freshmen in her team’s first exhibition game in Mackey Arena. The lineups had one thing in common: They’re about as un-battle tested as it gets. None of Purdue’s lineups included more than two players who shared the court last year.

The offensive leaders on the new-look Boilermaker squad, in terms of shot volume, were freshman center Lana McCarthy, sophomore guard Sophie Swanson and senior guard Jayla Smith. Those three accounted for 52% of Purdue’s shot attempts and 43% of its points in a 101-50 win.

Here’s who else stood out:


Veterans show up early, often

Swanson made the second Purdue basket of the night, a 3 in transition. The prolific shooter finished 2-of-7 from deep on the night, shooting step-backs and contested jumpers throughout.

The highest-level box score contributions came from sophomore guard Rashunda Jones. The athletic guard scored 12 points on 6-of-6 shooting from the floor to go along with three rebounds and four assists.

Smith continued a strong stretch of play from the end of last season, at times outmatching the Warriors with her athleticism, like when she snatched her two steals or on drives to the basket. Her 15 points tied for the team lead.


Talented freshmen look ready


Indiana Tech was not prepared to see Lana McCarthy Tuesday night. To prepare, the Warriors would have needed to grow a few inches.

The freshman center has a rare combination of size and power, and is still figuring out how to use it. An Indiana Tech guard found that out in the second quarter, when the 6-foot-4 McCarthy fouled her.

The freshman was racing down center court, head down, until she reached her spot and posted up. But the guard beat her to that spot and McCarthy, eye on the ball, didn’t find out until she sent her opponent sprawling to the floor. A prompt whistle followed. It was one of four fouls called on McCarthy.

McCarthy is joined in the freshman class by another post player in 6-foot-3 Kendall Puryear. McCarthy drew the start, and Puryear followed her off the bench.

Puryear produced a couple of the loudest moments of the game, with most of the noise coming from the band in a half-full lower bowl of Mackey. The first instance was an and-one reverse layup that took its time to go down the hoop, made possible by a quick first step from Puryear.

The second was louder, and it didn’t even change the game’s score. In the fourth quarter, Puryear leapt high to block a jump shot before it took flight, and the thump of her hand on leather was quickly drowned out by the crowd.



Transfer additions play key roles

Bass was supposed to be a leader when Gearlds brought her in from Akron, and she showed up as a versatile power forward Tuesday.

She scored 13 efficient points, on just six field goal attempts. Bass was 2-2 from 3-point range.

Ella Collier, a fifth-year transfer and two-time NAIA player of the year, started at point guard. An imposing scorer at her previous school of Marian, she played facilitator Tuesday, with five assists and 4 points on one field goal attempt.

Destini Lombard, a fifth-year guard, played 21 minutes. Lombard was the defensive player of the year at Stephen F. Austin last season in the WAC conference. Tuesday, she scored 10 points with five rebounds.


What's next?

Purdue will start its regular season Nov. 6 against Purdue Fort Wayne in Mackey Arena.


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