Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/132171
that final three-game stretch and both involved him turning on the jets. His 17-yard scramble for a first down late against Iowa ultimately set up a gamewinning field goal, and his response to the bounced-around interception that snapped a 138-pass streak without one was to chase down Indiana's Greg Heban 70 yards before chucking him out of bounds, doing so on the injured ACL he played much of the season on. Tom Campbell "I really liked the courage After missing a year due to a knee injury, Drey Mingo returned to lead the and the strength he showed," Boilermakers to their second straight Big Ten Tournament title. said former teammate Akeem costing her a season-and-a-half of action. Shavers, who also spent time in Tampa Still, she vowed to get back to the Bay Bucs rookie minicamp with Marve. tournament again the next season, and "To see him come out there after what was given the opportunity when the he's been through, it's really inspiring. He NCAA granted her — somewhat surprishas a warrior spirit and doesn't quit. What ingly given her unusual circumstances — more could you ask from him?" a sixth year of eligibility. — Stacy Clardie She made the most of the chance. Mingo led the Boilermakers through No. 9 their three-game sweep of the Big Ten Sweet Redemption Tournament in Hoffman Estates, Ill., in A year ago, Drey Mingo sat on the early March, capping off the run with a sidelines, watching as Purdue won the spectacular game vs. Michigan State in Big Ten Tournament in dramatic fashion. the championship. At the time, she didn't even know if her Then, she missed only one of her 11 Boilermaker basketball career would contin- shots in scoring a season-high 24 points ue, considering she had consumed her five with eight rebounds and three blocks in years of eligibility. The last two, of course, the title victory. She was named the tourwere spent first battling bacterial menin- ney's Most Outstanding Player. gitis, then a knee injury, with the afflictions "I thought Drey Mingo was amazing, absolutely amazing," Spartan coach Suzy Merchant said afterward, "and I'm really happy that she got her extra year. What a story and what a class act she is. And very, very proud of what she's been able to accomplish with all of her adversity." Mingo's finish was fitting. She's a winner, having suffered through hearing loss due to her fight with bacterial meningitis, but rather than wallowing in the loss, she turned it into a cause. In the last year, she started a not-for-profit, Sounds of Serenity, helping children cope with hearing loss and with the financial burdens of hearing aids. So seeing Mingo celebrate on the court at Hoffman Estates was a thing of beauty, particularly because she got to do so not in street clothes but in uniform. "I know she's been waiting for this moment a long time," teammate Sam Ostarello said after the win, "and I couldn't be happier for her." — Kyle Charters No. 8 Champions Move In Certainly, the Boilermakers would have liked to have been in their new baseball home in 2012. But once they arrived in 2013, they GoldanDBlack express • volume 23, express 30 • 2