GBI Express

Gold and Black Express, Vol 25, EX 21

Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/463948

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 15 of 26

GOLDANDBLACK EXPRESS • VOLUME 25, EXPRESS 21 • 16 BY KYLE CHARTERS KCharters@GoldandBlack.com T he Boilermakers already had very little margin for error this season. And now, they're dealing with injury — April Wilson missing a game and pos- sibly more with a concussion, and Torrie Thornton out a few weeks with a foot in- jury — creating even more difficulty. Purdue lost two in the last week, squandering an opportunity to upset Northwestern in Mackey Arena before los- ing at Rutgers. Following are takeaways: S Purdue's trying to salvage some- thing at the end of its season, one that very likely will end without a postseason appearance. But the Boilermakers are find- ing few positives at the moment. The issues that have plagued them all season, shooting woes in particular, aren't going away any time soon. Purdue can't hit from the perimeter, not with the regular- ity needed to keep defenses honest, and as a result it's struggling to get even to a 60-point thresh- old. And few teams are go- ing to win if they can't reach at least that mark in a 40-minute game. S Although she's struggled to shoot this season, Ashley Morris- sette is a shooting guard. But she was forced to play the point in the second half and overtime of the Northwestern loss, then for the Rutgers game. It's not a great fit, as Morris- sette's prone to turnovers, but she's the only option. Purdue has no one else to play the point right now, an illustration of the Boiler- makers' lack of depth. And Morrissette might have to stay at the point, with Wilson's status going forward un- known. S Purdue should turn younger the last couple weeks of the season. There's nothing to lose. The Boilermakers' only postseason chance is if they're the top-placing non- NCAA team — and thus get the auto-en- try to the WNIT — but it seems unlikely that they could finish that high. So, why not go with Bree Horrocks and Erica Moore more, get them in the game to see what they've got? Because the duo will be critical to rebuilding Purdue's frontcourt next season. And Justine Hall has struggled to pick up the nuances of the Boilermakers' system in her first year, but she could at least get a few minutes, one would think, considering the way the season unfolded. j W O M E N ' S B A S K E T B A L L G O L D B O X E S L I N K T O G A M E S T O R I E S Tom Campbell Ashley Morrisstte was forced to play point the last game-and-a- half, due to April Wilson's concussion. A LOOK BACK AT THE LAST WEEK OF BASKETBALL FLASH FORWARD Opponent: Ohio State Location: Value City Arena When: 7 p.m. Tuesday Notables: The Buckeyes were upset Saturday at Illinois, losing 66- 55, their lowest points accumulation during the Big Ten season. … Ohio State is third in the league in scoring, averaging 79.1 points per game, led by conference leading scorer Kelsey Mitchell, at 25.2 points per game. Fellow guard Ameryst Alston averages 19.8. Mitchell scored a Mackey- record 37 in OSU's overtime win at Purdue Jan. 25. … The game marks the last in which the Boilermakers scored more than 70 points.

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of GBI Express - Gold and Black Express, Vol 25, EX 21