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was like a South Carolina team," Versyp said of the Gamecocks, who ran Purdue off its own floor this past March in the NCAA Tournament. "Part of us had been through that. … We just need to be in the attack mode, and not be the ones who are backing off. We had to be more of the aggressor and that's what we did. This game showed tremendous growth in so many areas." Key Player Although Houser had 19 points and 10 assists, freshman April Wilson might have changed the game with her poise in the first half. The backup point guard had 12 points, six assists, six steals and three rebounds in 31 minutes; and she didn't commit a turnover against the Yellow Jackets' full-court press. "I just thought she was tremendous," said Tech coach MaChelle Joseph, a former Purdue All-American. "Her speed and quickness, handling the ball really broke us down in transition. I really thought she stepped up, a huge game. For a freshman not to turn the ball over against that pressure. … I thought she played a phenom- enal game; that was somebody we weren't prepared for. She really made the difference." Key Stretch Purdue was out of sorts offensively early, but when Wilson hit a 30-foot three-pointer just before the end of the shot clock in the first half, it gave the Boilers a pulse. After two Yellow Jacket free throws, Purdue went on a 17-7 run to tie the game at 32. Then, Wilson found Courtney Moses in transition for a threepoint play to give Purdue its first lead. Key Stat Purdue scored 56 points on the inside, with 14 coming on the break. It contributed to the Boilermakers shooting 70 percent in the second half, bringing their game average to 52.4 percent. And Purdue committed only 15 turnovers. Takeaways S Purdue has plenty of weapons offensively, one of the reasons why it is averaging more than 70 points per game this season. Get this: In nine games this season, Purdue has yet to have the same player lead them in scoring for consecutive games. Four players — Moses, Houser, Mingo and Ostarello — have taken turns being the leading scorer, and Purdue is getting occasional double-digit games from freshmen April Wilson and Taylor Manuel. It must make the Boilermakers hard for opponents to scout, because even if they're able to shut down part of Purdue's offense, other players are capable of stepping up. S The Boilers should be 11-1 headed to their final nonconference game vs. Notre Dame on Dec. 29. But the nonconference slate is lacking a major marquee victory. Purdue has had good wins, such as vs. Marist and Wake Forest in the Paradise Jam and vs. Georgia Tech, which has received votes in top-25 polls. But a win over the Irish would give the Boilers a victory over an RPI top-15. And that'd look good come Selection Monday. S The Boilers will be able to manage the next few weeks without Poston, but they'll need her for the Big Ten. She gives Purdue yet another capable scorer, and her two rebounds per game this season aren't indicative of her potential on the boards. j GoldanDBlack express • volume 23, express 14 • 28