GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 28, ISSUE 5 49
ASSEMBLING
THE PIECES
Purdue feels it has a solid core, but looking to add
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL LOOK AHEAD
BY KYLE CHARTERS
KCharters@GoldandBlack.com
T
hree days after losing at home to Indiana in
mid-February, its second straight loss in Mackey
Arena, Purdue traveled to Maryland.
There, the Boilermakers upset the 10th-ranked Terra-
pins, becoming only the third program to beat Maryland
since it joined the Big Ten in 2014-15. It was Purdue's
first top-10 road win since 1990 and its fourth in the sea-
son over a ranked opponent, three of them on the road.
But it didn't vault the Boilermakers into the NCAA
Tournament, as many expected it to at the time. Instead,
a mixture of youth, injuries, illness, a mid-season depar-
ture and a short bench — and Purdue would argue in-
consistent selection criteria by the NCAA Committee —
kept the Boilermakers out of the NCAA Tournament. Left
to the WNIT, Purdue won twice before being ousted by
Indiana in the third round. It marked the Hoosiers' third
victory against the Boilermakers, not only sweeping the
rivals' series for the first time since 1985 and winning
three straight in a single season for the first time ever.
"(Finding) that consistency day-in, day-out, I think
Charles Jischke/Purdue Athletics
Sharon Versyp likes the core of Purdue's team for next season, but
is looking to add a couple players this spring, if possible.
