Wednesday, February 12
West Lafayette, Ind.
6 p.m. CT
Northwestern
at
Purdue
Photo by: Mary Grace Grabill/Northwestern Athletics
Northwestern Begins Road Swing Wednesday At Purdue
2/11/2025 2:45:00 PM | Women's Basketball
'Cats look to build momentum following win over Penn State this past Sunday
EVANSTON, Ill. (February 11, 2025) – Fresh off a win at home over the weekend, Northwestern (8-14, 1-10 B1G) begins a crucial two-game road swing on Wednesday evening when it takes on Purdue in a 6 p.m. CT tip-off inside Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind.
LAST TIME OUT
Paced by a game-high 20 points from Melannie Daley, Northwestern withstood a late Penn State rally to secure a 69-63 victory this past Sunday inside Welsh-Ryan Arena. Daley was one of three Wildcats to reach double figures in scoring in the win, a trio that also included Grace Sullivan (14 points) and Casey Harter (10 points).
Taylor Williams ripped down 11 rebounds as part of an active afternoon that also included seven points, three assists, two steals, and two blocks. Caroline Lau dished out a game-best eight assists, as Northwestern assisted on 20 of its 26 made field goals. Caileigh Walsh recorded a team-high three blocks to move into a tie for seventh on the program's all-time record board in the category with 120 rejections.
SCOUTING PURDUE
After upending Wisconsin, 84-71, for its first Big Ten victory on February 2, Purdue (8-15, 1-11 B1G) dropped a 78-69 decision to Rutgers on Sunday afternoon at Jersey Mike's Arena in Piscataway, N.J. The Boilermakers' win over the Badgers at the start of the month snapped a nine-game slide for fourth-year head coach Katie Gearlds' team that dated back to an 84-63 loss to then No. 24 Iowa in late December.
Destini Lombard has been a fixture in the Purdue lineup this season. The lone Boilermaker to start in all 23 contests, Lombard, who was named the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Defensive Player of the Year as a senior at Stephen F. Austin last season, averages a team-best 10.7 points and 2.1 steals. Lombard put up a career-high 24 points in a marquee matchup with No. 4 South Carolina on November 30.
Rashunda Jones, a Big Ten All-Freshman Team pick a season ago, has upped her game since the start of league play, putting up a team-high 10.3 points per game against Big Ten foes. Jones played in all but 56 seconds of Purdue's aforementioned meeting with Rutgers, finishing with 13 points, seven rebounds, and five assists.
SERIES STUFF
Northwestern and Purdue will meet for the 81st time on Wednesday evening, a series in which the Boilermakers lead, 54-26 (.675). The 'Cats will be looking to snap a four-game slide to Purdue, a streak that was extended by a pair of setbacks last season.
When the two teams met during the regular season on February 14, 2024, Northwestern was held to just under 33 percent shooting from the field as Purdue started fast and never looked back en route to a 74-48 win at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
The second matchup between the 'Cats and Boilermakers proved to be a more tightly contested affair, as Purdue edged Northwestern, 78-72, in the First Round of the Big Ten Tournament on March 6, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minn. Walsh (26 points) and Daley (21 points) both surpassed the 20-point mark in the defeat.
UP NEXT
Northwestern jets east to Piscataway, N.J. on Monday, February 17 for a 7 p.m. CT meeting with Rutgers that will be televised on Big Ten Network.
LAST TIME OUT
Paced by a game-high 20 points from Melannie Daley, Northwestern withstood a late Penn State rally to secure a 69-63 victory this past Sunday inside Welsh-Ryan Arena. Daley was one of three Wildcats to reach double figures in scoring in the win, a trio that also included Grace Sullivan (14 points) and Casey Harter (10 points).
Taylor Williams ripped down 11 rebounds as part of an active afternoon that also included seven points, three assists, two steals, and two blocks. Caroline Lau dished out a game-best eight assists, as Northwestern assisted on 20 of its 26 made field goals. Caileigh Walsh recorded a team-high three blocks to move into a tie for seventh on the program's all-time record board in the category with 120 rejections.
SCOUTING PURDUE
After upending Wisconsin, 84-71, for its first Big Ten victory on February 2, Purdue (8-15, 1-11 B1G) dropped a 78-69 decision to Rutgers on Sunday afternoon at Jersey Mike's Arena in Piscataway, N.J. The Boilermakers' win over the Badgers at the start of the month snapped a nine-game slide for fourth-year head coach Katie Gearlds' team that dated back to an 84-63 loss to then No. 24 Iowa in late December.
Destini Lombard has been a fixture in the Purdue lineup this season. The lone Boilermaker to start in all 23 contests, Lombard, who was named the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Defensive Player of the Year as a senior at Stephen F. Austin last season, averages a team-best 10.7 points and 2.1 steals. Lombard put up a career-high 24 points in a marquee matchup with No. 4 South Carolina on November 30.
Rashunda Jones, a Big Ten All-Freshman Team pick a season ago, has upped her game since the start of league play, putting up a team-high 10.3 points per game against Big Ten foes. Jones played in all but 56 seconds of Purdue's aforementioned meeting with Rutgers, finishing with 13 points, seven rebounds, and five assists.
SERIES STUFF
Northwestern and Purdue will meet for the 81st time on Wednesday evening, a series in which the Boilermakers lead, 54-26 (.675). The 'Cats will be looking to snap a four-game slide to Purdue, a streak that was extended by a pair of setbacks last season.
When the two teams met during the regular season on February 14, 2024, Northwestern was held to just under 33 percent shooting from the field as Purdue started fast and never looked back en route to a 74-48 win at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
The second matchup between the 'Cats and Boilermakers proved to be a more tightly contested affair, as Purdue edged Northwestern, 78-72, in the First Round of the Big Ten Tournament on March 6, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minn. Walsh (26 points) and Daley (21 points) both surpassed the 20-point mark in the defeat.
UP NEXT
Northwestern jets east to Piscataway, N.J. on Monday, February 17 for a 7 p.m. CT meeting with Rutgers that will be televised on Big Ten Network.
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