With a chance to extend its winning streak to nine straight entering the postseason, No. 10 IU women’s basketball concludes its regular season campaign at 1 p.m. Saturday against Purdue.
The Hoosiers, 17-4 overall and 15-2 in the Big Ten, will celebrate Senior Day and honor senior guards Ali Patberg and Keyanna Warthen before tip-off. In what could be their final game played at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, Patberg and Warthen are focused on keeping the momentum rolling into next week’s Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis.
“I think we all just take this game as a statement game — Not just because they’re Purdue, just because we’re good enough to beat anybody,” Warthen said. “It’s time to wake people up, because I feel like we’ve done that and we still haven’t gotten the respect that we’re supposed to have.”
IU beat Purdue 66-45 at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Indiana, in this season’s first Barn Burner Trophy game Jan. 14.
Junior guard Grace Berger and sophomore forward Mackenzie Holmes combined for 42 points, nearly outscoring the Boilermakers themselves. It was defense, however, that helped the Hoosiers pull away for the win. In the second quarter alone, IU outscored Purdue 20-3 after each team scored 12 points in the first frame.
Head coach Teri Moren said sophomore forward Mackenzie Holmes joked that associate head coach Rhet Wierzba, responsible for scouting Purdue, might know the Boilermakers better than they know themselves.
“That’s how well he’s been able to scout them and help our players,” Moren said of Wierzba. “We rely a lot on our defense. They’re very serious about their preparation and we’ve never taken any game lightly.”
The Hoosiers have won four straight games against the Boilermakers, their longest streak in the rivalry series dating back to the 1993-94 season. Saturday, however, IU is going up against a Purdue squad that’s made changes since their last meeting less than two months ago.
Senior guard Karissa McLaughlin made one of her four starts this year against the Hoosiers before a lingering ankle injury forced her to miss the remainder of the season. McLaughlin, Purdue’s all-time leader in made 3-pointers, averaged 9.1 points in seven career games against IU.
Junior guard Brooke Moore is a Boilermaker in particular that Moren said has stepped up in McLaughlin’s absence. The Auburn transfer averages 12 points per game and has scored in double figures eight of Purdue’s last 10 games.
“Brooke Moore is becoming more confident and comfortable in their system,” Moren said. “She obviously can stretch you out but she can also beat you off the bounce, she’s become more aggressive.”
Moren said the Boilermakers have also been more intentional in feeding their taller post players, including 6-foot-4 senior Fatou Diagne and 6-foot-6 freshman Ra Shaya Kyle.
The Boilermakers are playing on nearly one week of rest since they last played. On Sunday, Purdue celebrated its own Senior Day with a 70-66 win over Illinois to snap an eight-game losing skid.
Despite the recent success against their rival, Moren said the Hoosiers are expecting the Boilermakers to try to surprise them with off-ball actions and different zone looks defensively.
“At some point...you become a little bit familiar with each other and sort of each other’s tendencies and how you’re gonna play,” Moren said. “They’re gonna come in here and just like every other team has, they’re gonna give us their very, very best.”
