Big games aren’t unfamiliar to Indiana — not only this season but ever since head coach Teri Moren took the reins of the program and elevated it to a nationally relevant brand — but Sunday isn’t just another big game because of rankings. The Hoosiers will look to win their 10th consecutive game against their in-state rival in Purdue.
Indiana (15-2, 6-1 Big Ten) and Purdue (9-8, 2-4 Big Ten) are set to face off at 2 p.m. Sunday at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette.
The Barn Burner Trophy is on the line for the 31st time, and the Hoosiers will look to retain the trophy for the 8th straight year.
Moren, who played at Purdue from 1988-89 to 1991-92, will grace the sidelines for the 18th time against her former team. While the Boilermakers dominated the rivalry 52-27 prior to Moren’s arrival in Bloomington — including Moren going 8-0 against Indiana in her playing career — they’ve since been dominated by Indiana.
The Hoosiers are 14-3 against the Boilermakers under Moren — 9-0 at home and a 5-3 on the road — bringing the all-time series record to 55-41 in favor of Purdue.
In 33 seasons prior to Moren coaching the Hoosiers, Indiana had four 20-win seasons and four NCAA Tournament appearances. In her nine seasons at the helm, Moren has led the Hoosiers to eight 20-win seasons and five NCAA Tournament berths, bringing Indiana into national relevancy.
While the Hoosiers have been ranked in the AP Top 25 at least once in each of the past five seasons, the Boilermakers haven’t done so since 2014-15 — Moren’s first season in Bloomington.
Despite Indiana’s recent dominance, Sunday marks the first of two matchups between the programs this season and a chance for Purdue to notch their first victory over a ranked opponent this season. The Boilermakers enter the bout on a three-game losing streak, falling to Iowa, Maryland and Penn State.
Purdue head coach Katie Gearlds guided her squad to an NCAA Tournament First Four appearance last season for the program’s first tournament berth since 2017. While Gearlds went 7-1 against Indiana in her time as player and was tasked with regaining the aura of what Purdue used to be — making NCAA Tournaments and winning Big Ten titles — her 2023-24 squad is struggling.
Senior guard Abbey Ellis leads the Boilermakers in scoring, averaging 13.9 points per game. Senior guard Madison Layden and senior forward Caitlyn Harper each average 10.8 points per game. While they have three scorers averaging at least 10 points per game, the Boilermakers score just 68.7 points per game — ranked 137th out of 360 Division I programs.
Purdue enters with a measly 2-4 Big Ten record, notching wins over Wisconsin and Rutgers. In their four losses, however, the Boilermakers have fallen by an average of 15.5 points per game. Purdue shoots 45.9% — 162nd in the country — from 2-point range and 33.6% from 3-point range — 93rd in the country.
Indiana, on the other hand, is in the top 10 in both 2-point and 3-point percentage, led by graduate forward Mackenzie Holmes and fifth-year senior guard Sara Scalia. Holmes leads the Hoosiers in 2-point percentage at 68.3 while Scalia shoots 43.1% from beyond the arc.
The cream and crimson are coming off a bounce back win over Minnesota on Wednesday, routing the Golden Gophers 85-62 behind Holmes and Scalia scoring 32 and 22 points, respectively.
The Hoosiers are just a week removed from a disappointing 27-point loss to No. 3 Iowa, a game they hope to bounce back from in the current four-game break from playing ranked opponents.
Indiana will look to take down Purdue on Sunday and continue its dominance over a program they once struggled to beat.
The contest will tip off at 2 p.m. inside Mackey Arena in West Lafayette. The game will be streaming live on Peacock.
Follow reporters Dalton James (@DaltonMJames) and Quinn Richards (@Quinn_richa), columnist Ryan Canfield (@_ryancanfield) and photographer Olivia Bianco (@theoliviabianco) for updates throughout the Indiana women’s basketball season.
