BOILERMAKER WOMEN PULL AWAY LATE TO WIN AT RUTGERS

BOILERMAKERS PULL AWAY LATE TO WIN AT RUTGERS

Ellis leads with 20 points for Purdue in Sunday’s 70-59 win in Piscataway

Credit Source: Purdue University Athletics

 PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Purdue Women’s Basketball saved its best for last in its 70-59 victory at Rutgers, outscoring the Scarlet Knights by a 22-14 margin in the fourth quarter to secure the win.

 

Junior guard Abbey Ellis (Melbourne, Australia) led the way for first-year head coach Katie Gearlds’ squad (16-11, 7-9), as the transfer point guard scored a team-high 20 points (6-for-14 FG) and recorded five rebounds, two steals and two assists.

 

The win was a significant marker on the opening campaign for Gearlds’ career at Purdue, as the season sweep of Rutgers (9-18, 2-13) gives the Boilermakers back-to-back wins against the Scarlet Knights for the third time in program history. The Old Gold & Black defeated Rutgers, 60-58 (Jan. 2, 2022) on a last-second, buzzer-beating layup from junior guard Jeanae Terry.

 

Gearlds and her squad have successfully turned momentum in the series away from the Scarlet Knights, who prior to this season had claimed five-straight wins dating back to 2017-18.

 

Helping Ellis deliver the road win for the Boilers were sophomore guard Madison Layden (Kokomo, Ind.) and freshman guard Ava Learn (Hyde Park, N.Y.), who scored 15 points and 13 points, respectively. Layden made her presence felt on both ends of the court, as she also tallied six rebounds and a career-high six steals.

 

Learn’s play has continued to elevate, as the newcomer followed up a career-best game vs. Illinois (Feb. 17), in which she scored 12 points, with a new personal best of 13. Her five rebounds matched a season-best.

 

The second quarter was the beginning of showtime for Ellis, and the reason for Purdue’s halftime advantage was on the shoulders of the Boilermakers’ native Australian. Seven points from Ellis during the game’s second frame helped Purdue stake out a 33-29 lead at the break.

 

A tightly contested first quarter, Learn led the Boilermakers with six points in the opening frame and had eight total for the first half. Gearlds’ squad was down 16-15 to the host Scarlet Knights after one period, but saw an early boost from its bench with 10 points coming from substitutions.

 

UP NEXT

Purdue continues on the road at Northwestern on Thursday, Feb. 24, with tipoff scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on B1G+ and the Purdue Radio Network.