Rutgers Puts Hammer Down on Purdue

Five after Five after Five Wears Out Boilers

by Steven Stremming and Brad Gossett

With Indiana falling short in the first game of the night so of the BiG Ten Women’s Conference Basketball championships at Banker’s Life Fieldhouse.

Purdue tried to handle the Scarlet Knights full court pressure and quickness and their constant substituting and through the first quarter they handled it with poise as they trailed 18 to 15 at the first stop.

But Rutgers stepped up the pressure full court to keep the Boilerrs out of sorts by subbing over and over and wearing the Boilers down and it worked as Rutgers grabbed a halftime lead at 31 to 24.

Purdue would outscore Rutgers 17 to 14 in the third period but Rutgers would pull away in the fourth quarter and win handily 64 to 49.

Rutgers was led by Stasha Carey’s seventeen and Arelia Guirantes adding fifteen.

Victoria Harris was stunning inside as she pulled down a game high 14 rebounds while Carey added nine.

Tamara Farquhar continued her strong tournament performance with a team high 12 points and eleven boards.

Karissa McLaughlin added eleven while Ae’Rianna Harris added ten points and nine rebounds and a team high three blocks which set a career record for blocked shots.

Purdue shot 15 of 56 from the field including a bleak four of twenty three three’s and fifteen turnovers.

Rutgers shot 25 of 63 from the field that also included a sub par four of seventeen from behind the arc.

Rutgers now 22 and 8 moves on to play Iowa while Purdue goes back home to await their NIT assignment.