Hoosiers ready for Boilermakers

Purdue coach Kristy Curry admits she feels insecure about her No. 11 Boilermakers playing IU tonight at Assembly Hall.\nWhy would she think this way about her 2001 NCAA runner-up and Big Ten champion squad?\nFor one thing, Purdue (13-3, 4-2 Big Ten) has dropped two Big Ten games on the road. In fact, all three of the Boilermakers' losses have occurred away from the normally-packed Mackey Arena in West Lafayette.\n"I think it's a little bit of a gut check for mental toughness to see if we can bring it up to another level and bottle up everything that happens at Mackey and take it on the road," Curry said.\nSpeaking of toughness, the Hoosiers (8-8, 2-3) plan to supply their own fearless mindset against a team that clobbered them 87-46 in their last meeting.\n"When I look back at the stats, I feel when they jack up the intensity level, if it's not going their way, they come out and attack you," said IU coach Kathi Bennett, whose Hoosiers play Purdue at 7 p.m. "And our mentality has to be, 'We are getting to the foul line. We are going to take the ball at you. We are going to get to the rim.' I think that's going to be huge."\nThe Hoosiers displayed major intensity in their last meeting with Purdue at Assembly Hall Jan. 7, 2001, in a 67-59 loss. IU sliced the Boilermakers' 22-point lead early in the second half to four points with 4:24 left.\nBut then the Boilermakers sprinted away with an 11-3 run during the last four minutes. Point guard Heather Cassady led IU with 11 points that night.\nGone from last year's contests for Purdue are All-American guard/forward Katie Douglas and center Camille Cooper. Gone is 60 percent of last season's scoring. \nBut Curry said guard Kelly Komara has displayed leadership superior to all former stars. A starter last season, Komara has risen to the top of the Big Ten in steals (4.33) while producing assists (5.0) and points (10.5).\n"Kelly Komara is as gritty and mentally tough as any kid I've ever had," Curry said. "She just needs her team to come along with her." \nIU power forward Erin McGinnis will defend Laura Meadows, who adds 5.8 rebounds per game. \n"She's a very good, all-around player," McGinnis said. "I'm also supposed to double the other post and be able to stop the shots because she can shoot threes and drive. I'm trying to not let her go left. She likes to drive left, so try to force her right and take away her shot."\nPurdue leads the series 29-26 and comes off an 80-43 victory over Ohio State at Mackey Arena Sunday. The Boilermakers have won their last two games after falling to Iowa 90-75 in Iowa City. \nFour players for Purdue average double figures, including forward Shereka Wright, who leads the team with 19.2 points.\nThe Hoosiers are coming off a three-game losing streak.\nTrophies and other goodies\nIU will have a chance to increase its lead in the Titan Series, which stands at 3-2 after victories in football, volleyball and men's cross country. The champion of tonight's game gets half a point because both teams will meet twice this season in women's basketball.\nThe champion also wins the Barn Burner Trophy, which the Boilermakers have claimed six of eight times, and the best athlete is awarded as most valuable player. IU last claimed the Barn Burner Jan. 25, 1998, in Bloomington.\n"It's a big game, a huge game," forward Jamie Gathing said. "We really don't like them, and they don't like us. We just want to beat them, demolish them"