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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 P R O V I D E L I N K T O G A M E S T O R Y A LOOK BACK AT THE LAST WEEK OF BASKETBALL BY KYLE CHARTERS KCharters@GoldandBlack.com T he Boilermakers entered Big Ten play feeling good, having won 10 of its 12 non-conference games. But Game 1 of league play brought Purdue back down, as the Boilermakers struggled defensively in a loss at Ohio State. The following are thoughts on the loss to the Buckeyes, along with the end of the nonleague slate. S Purdue's defense is lacking, and the offense, while better than many imagined, isn't good enough to consistently make up the difference. The Boilermakers outscored Central Michigan in the final nonconference game, putting 109 on the board — the fourth-most in school history — while allowing 97. But it couldn't replicate the style against the Buckeyes, who scored 35 more than their season average in a 89-78 win in Thursday's Big Ten opener. FLASH FORWARD Opponent: Northwestern Location: Evanston, Ill. When: 8 p.m., Thursday Notables: Like Purdue, Northwestern also had its game Monday postponed. The Wildcats were scheduled to play Illinois in Welsh-Ryan Arena before inclement weather forced a change. Purdue was scheduled to host Indiana Monday. … Northwestern (10-4 overall, 0-1 in the Big Ten) lost its league opener at Nebraska, 66-65, after leading by four with three minutes to go. … The Wildcats are 8-1 at home. … Freshman forward Nia Coffey leads Northwestern in scoring and rebounding, averaging 15.6 and 8.8 per game. … The 'Cats' top four scorers are underclassmen. … Purdue leads the series 44-19, having won three straight. But the Boilermakers have lost two of the last three at Evanston. With its smaller guards on the perimeter, Purdue is having trouble preventing opponents from passing the ball into the lane. And once there, interior options are opening. That was especially true against Ohio State, because Purdue's top post players were in foul trouble, further limiting the Boilermakers' interior defense. What needs to change? Purdue needs to use its perimeter quickness to disrupt offenses before they get into their halfcourt sets. And play better interior defense, while still staying out of foul trouble. S KK Houser was a savior for the Boilermakers against Ohio State, scoring a career-high 26 points, including seven threepointers. Without her making shots, Purdue might very well have been blown out in Columbus. Houser is a risk-reward player; she'll try too often to make a difficult pass, with some resulting in turnovers. But when she's scoring efficiently, she's a very difficult player for opponents to defend. S With its height deficiency, Purdue's likely not going to be a dominating team on the glass, but it can't be overwhelmed either. The Buckeyes won on the boards by nine, getting second-chance points but also keeping the Boilermakers from getting the ball and running. For a long stretch to the second half, about seven minutes, Purdue went without a field goal, a sign it wasn't getting easy fast- break looks off rebounds. S Whitney Bays started against Ohio State, a change that seemed inevitable considering the way the transfer forward had been playing and the considerable skill she brings to the court. It might help Purdue get off to better starts. However, who is the spark off the bench now? Bays was doing it before, averaging better than 10 points in a reserve role. But now, Purdue has little consistent scoring punch off its bench. Bridget Perry could be an option — she hit a couple three-pointers vs. Central Michigan — but hasn't shown to be a consistent threat. j Tom Campbell KK Houser has been an outstanding scorer the last two games, scoring 21 against Central Michigan and a career-high 26 against Ohio State. GOLDANDBLACK EXPRESS • VOLUME 24, EXPRESS 15 • 13