(PURDUE RELEASE)
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Despite a quartet of players in double figures, the Purdue women's basketball team could not complete a double-digit comeback Thursday evening at Minnesota, falling 77-72.
Brooke Moore posted her third 20-point game of the year and her first since mid-December, finishing with 20 points on 7-of-18 shooting and a perfect 5-of-5 at the line. Madison Layden followed up her Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors with a 17-point outing, with 15 in the second half from 6-of-9 field goals.
Fatou Diagne notched her third straight double-double, going for 11 points and 10 rebounds. She is the first Boilermaker since Whitney Bays in 2014-15 to string three in a row. Bays set the program record with 10.
Purdue (6-7, 3-6) shot 41.8% from the field and knocked down four 3-pointers.
Moore sparked the Boilermakers early with 10 points in the first quarter, as the visitors took a 20-17 lead. Purdue shot 50% in the first with one 3-pointer, but the hot touch cooled down in the second.
Minnesota (5-7, 4-6) took advantage of a 26.7% field goal mark for the Boilermakers in the second to go on an 18-4 run. Jenelle Grant ended the steak with a hard-fought layup with 1:13 to play. Purdue entered the breakdown 35-29.
The Golden Gophers built the gap up to as many as 10 in the third, before Layden and Moore hit a 3-pointer and a fastbreak layup, respectively, on back-to-back possessions. Layden then hit a triple with 1:44 to cap a 10-point period. Purdue trailed 55-53 heading into the fourth.
The Boilermakers battled back to tie the game with 6:42 to play at 59-59. Layden hit a corner triple and Kayana Traylor finished off a hard drive, before Fatou Diagne finished the six-point swing at the line.
After Minnesota pulled nine ahead in the fourth, Cassidy Hardin started another 6-0 run that brought Purdue back within three, including steal and scores from Layden and Traylor. The Golden Gophers hit a pair of free throws in the final seconds to make it a two-possession game and pull away for the victory.
NOTES
• Purdue leads the all-time series against Minnesota 46-23, with a 22-13 mark in Minneapolis.
• The loss snaps a seven-game winning streak in Minneapolis.
• The Boilermakers put up 20 points in a first period for the fifth time this season.
• Cassidy Hardin made a layup with less than a minute remaining. It was her ninth 2-point basket, compared to 70 career 3-pointers.
• Kayana Traylor finished with 12 points for her 10th game in double figures this season.
• The Boilermakers won the rebounding battle 38-36.
• Purdue's 21 fastbreak points were the second most this season.
UP NEXT
The Boilermakers will attempt to complete the season sweep against Penn State on Sunday at Mackey Arena. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. on Big Ten Network+.
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