The Murray State women’s basketball team went head-to-head with the Purdue University Boilermakers, who compete in the Big 10 conference, on Sunday, Nov. 13.

The Racers fell to the Boilermakers 90-61 and are now 1-1 on the young 2022-23 season. The Boilermakers’ defense proved to be tough for the Racers as Purdue held Murray State to a 40.4% field goal percentage in the matchup.

The Boilermakers got on the board first after junior guard Madison Layden scored a fastbreak layup. Racers redshirt senior forward Alexis Burpo responded by hitting a jumper in the paint after redshirt senior guard Jordyn Hughes passed the ball to her. 

The Racers kept the score close at the beginning of the first quarter as they were down 9-6 three minutes into the game. The game started to shift Purdue’s way, though, as the team went on a 9-point run to take the 18-6 lead.

Murray State junior forward Hannah McKay ended Purdue’s run when she received a pass from junior forward Katelyn Young to score on a layup. Purdue senior guard Abbey Ellis hit both of her free throws on the next possession to increase the lead back to 12.

The Racers ended the first quarter with momentum. Redshirt senior guard Macey Turley hit a 3-pointer and made both of her free throws on the following possession to make the score 20-13 after the end of the first quarter. 

The Boilermakers started the second quarter off hot, scoring the first 9 points of the quarter. Within the first three minutes of the quarter, they more than doubled the lead they had at the end of the first quarter, making the score 29-13.

The Racers scored once in the first six minutes of the second quarter. The majority of their points came in the final three and a half minutes of the first half. McKay hit a 3-pointer, junior guard Bria Sanders-Woods made both of her free throws and sophomore guard Cayson Conner made a fastbreak layup.

Young was fouled as she scored in the paint and made the free throw and Sanders-Woods made a layup to give the Racers some offensive production before the end of the first half. Purdue had a 40-27 lead going into halftime. 

Murray State was able to get within 11 points at the beginning of the third quarter after a 3-pointer by Hughes, but the Boilermakers’ lead would continue to grow from that point on. Purdue did not allow the Racers to get back within 10 points for the remainder of the game.

Purdue coasted to the win over the Racers after obtaining a game-high lead of 32 points in the fourth quarter and ultimately won the game 90-61. They had a 50.7% field goal percentage in the win and went 11-12 on free throws.

McKay led her team in scoring as she had 13 points. She had five rebounds and an assist as well. Hughes had 11 points, two rebounds and an assist. Burpo finished with 10 points, six rebounds, a block and an assist. Young totaled 7 points, five assists and six blocks in the loss while Turley ended with 7 points, six rebounds, four assists and a rebound. 

Murray State scored 24 points in the paint, 9 second-chance points and 6 points off turnovers in the loss. The Racers were able to corral 27 rebounds in the game, and they totaled 17 assists as a team. 

The Racers will host the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 19 in the CFSB Center.

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