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Gold and Black Illustrated, Vol 25, Digital 2

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ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 25, ISSUE 2 65 f Liza Clemons said. "We need to be physical or it's not going to help us out any. Everybody will bring it." On Purdue's 12-player roster, which includes seven returnees from last season, all but three are at least 5-foot-10. And six are 6-2 and above. Recently, Versyp put a big lineup on the court for a practice, the only sub-6-foot player being 5-7 point guard April Wilson. "It was a sick lineup," Wilson said. "Our height is scary." It's a big change. Moses, who stood 5-7, and the 5-6 Houser led the way last year, with the latter frequently playing on the wing. And Wilson was a starter, as well, giving Purdue one of the shortest backcourts in the Big Ten and perhaps the country. And early on in the season, Dee Dee Wil- liams, at 6-foot, played at the 4 spot. Yet, Purdue was successful, run- ning a wide-open, fast-paced offense heavy on perimeter scoring — it averaged 74.6 points per game, the 10th-most in program history — to get into the NCAA Tournament. And the Boilermakers did so despite los- ing Houser for the last month of the season, after she tore her ACL. But they didn't reach their postsea- son goals, first losing early in the Big Ten Tournament, then the NCAAs. But the disappointment has left Purdue hungry. "I think we have a great team," said Wilson, a captain and starting point guard. "We've all bought in. There's been so many nights where I've seen BY THE NUMBERS 51.3 Percent of scoring lost from last season's team, particularly due to the graduations of leading scorers Courtney Moses and KK Houser, although the latter was injured the last nine games of the year. The duo, when healthy, combined to average 30.7 points per game. 14.8 Purdue's turnover average in the last nine games of the season, when April Wilson took the majority of the minutes as the Boilermakers' point guard. The team had averaged 16.6 in the 22 previous games. 6 Players at least 6-foot-2 on Purdue's roster, after it had only four such players last season. 74.6 Purdue's scoring average last season, which ranked fourth in the Big Ten. It was the highest average in a season since 2000-01, when the Boilermakers averaged 76.2, and 10th-best all-time. In the 13 seasons since, it had hit a low of 59.1 in 2007-08. 78.0 Free-throw percent- age last season, the best ever at Purdue. — Kyle Charters Tom Campbell Purdue needs Ashley Morrissette to score, much like she did at the begin- ning of last season. 2014-15 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE Date Opponent Time Nov. 9 FINDLAY (exb.) (BTN Plus) 2 p.m. Nov. 14 at Ball State 7 p.m. Nov. 19 GREEN BAY 5:30 p.m. Nov. 23 TOLEDO (BTN Plus) 2 p.m. Junkanoo Jam, Freeport, Bahamas Nov. 28 Texas Tech 3:15 p.m. Nov. 29 Geo. Washington/N Carolina 1/3:15 p.m. Big Ten/ACC Challenge Dec. 3 FLORIDA STATE (BTN Plus) 7 p.m. Dec. 7 at Dayton 2 p.m. Dec. 11 KANSAS (BTN Plus) 7 p.m. World Vision Classic Dec. 19 UC IRVINE Noon Dec. 20 DENVER 2:30 p.m. Dec. 21 WRIGHT STATE 2:30 p.m. Dec. 28 at Illinois (BTN Plus) 3 p.m. Jan. 1 MINNESOTA (BTN Plus) 2 p.m. Jan. 4 INDIANA (BTN Plus) 2 p.m. Jan. 8 at Maryland (BTN) 6:30 p.m. Jan. 11 at Iowa (BTN) TBA Jan. 15 WISCONSIN (BTN Plus) 7 p.m. Jan. 19 at Nebraska (BTN) 7 p.m. Jan. 22 at Minnesota (BTN Plus) 8 p.m. Jan. 25 OHIO STATE (BTN Plus) 2 p.m. Jan. 29 RUTGERS (BTN) 7 p.m. Feb. 2 at Indiana (BTN) 8:30 p.m. Feb. 8 PENN STATE (BTN Plus) 2 p.m. Feb. 11 NORTHWESTERN (BTN Plus) 7 p.m. Feb. 14 at Rutgers (BTN) Noon Feb. 17 at Ohio State (BTN) 7 p.m. Feb. 21 ILLINOIS (BTN/BTN Plus) TBA Feb. 24 at Michigan (BTN) 7 p.m. Feb. 28 MICHIGAN STATE (BTN) 2 p.m. March 4-8 Big Ten Tournament* TBA * Sears Centre, Hoffman Estates, Ill. All times ET

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