B1G Game 9: Gophers Visit Purdue (1-21-23)

Ignatius L Hoops

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Purdue (3-5) and Minnesota (2-6) enter Sunday’s game with 6’2” posts leading their teams in scoring. I think this was an unexpected development for both sides. To be clear, the Gopher’s Rose Micheaux is a level or two better than Purdue’s Caitlyn Harper in scoring and physicality; but Harper (last season’s WAC Player of the Year) has provided a calming influence on a Boiler team that like the Gophers is still searching for an identity.

In B1G play, Micheaux paces Minnesota with16.9 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. Harper’s numbers are much more modest at 11.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. One item of note is that Harper is 9-15 from beyond the arc while Micheaux is 0-0.

Playing 27.5 minutes per game, Micheaux committed 18 turnovers and 30 fouls. Harper in 25.1 minutes per game committed 15 turnovers and 20 fouls. The two wing players turned post players are backed up by two post players who see little action; but who can leave an impression: 6’4” Rickie Woltmann for the Boilers and 6’3” Destinee Oberg for the Gophers. Having this game decided by Woltmann and Oberg seems as unlikely as preseason predictions that Micheaux and Harper would emerge as their team’s leading scorer.

Purdue’s three conference wins are: @ Michigan State 76-71 in OT, Wisconsin 73-61 and @ Northwestern 65-54. Second year Purdue head coach, Katie Gearlds has used 8 different starting lineups in B1G. Jeanae Terry is the other Boiler who has matched Harper in starting every Big Ten game. Terry leads Purdue in assists with 6 per game and steals with 20. And like Amaya Battle, Terry is a solid rebounder grabbing 6.8 rebounds per game. So maybe this game will be post versus post and point versus point showdown in West Lafayette. With both coaches expecting a win.
 


From Purdue sports:

NOTES
• Purdue leads the all-time series with Minnesota, 47-23.
Jeanae Terry continues to rank among the nation's top passers, sitting sixth (2nd B1G) in total assists at 125, eighth (2nd) with 6.9 helpers per game and 32nd (4th) in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.36. She also ranks fifth in the Big Ten with 38 steals on the year.
• The Boilermakers rank 22nd nationally and sixth in the Big Ten with a 46.4% field goal clip. Purdue is 10-4 when shooting 40% or better.
Cassidy Hardin moved up to sixth in Purdue 3-point history with her 188th career triple on Wednesday night. She joins Jodi Howell (2006-2010). She is 12 shy of becoming the fifth player in program history with 200 triples and 50 away from Katie Gearlds in third.
Jayla Smith has found her shooting touch as of late with four straight games in double figures.
• Last week, four of Purdue's five signees for the class of 2023 were tabbed McDonald's All-America Game nominees as Mary Ashley Groot, Rashunda Jones, Emily Monson and McKenna Layden all received the national honor.
Abbey Ellis is averaging 22 points per game over her last two outings. She sits third on the team with 11.2 points per game.
• With a pair of assists against Nebraska, Jeanae Terry hit 500 for her career. She is 143 shy of the Big Ten top 10.
Caitlyn Harper is one of six players from the Big Ten to average 10 points or more a game and shoot 55% or better from the field.
 


Woltmann with 6 points and 4 rebounds. Rose with 0 points and 5 rebounds. 29-20 Boilers
 

Currently down 23-35. Unable to watch the game but disappointed to see Rose hasn’t scored.
 


Bad shooting must be a virus in the Minnesota system, the guys can’t shoot it and at the moment neither can the women.
 


Purdues doing a god job of exposing the freshman weaknesses on defense, alot of these Purdue 3s are coming against Heyer and they are taking Braun to the rim. Braun is gonna have to get in the weight room this offseason.
 

At the half 44-25 Purdue. The Boilers are 7-18 from three. Gophers are 3-13. The offense lacks focus without Micheaux. Defense lacks focus in general
 



Looks like the Boilers are not going to let Rose get her looks inside. Looks like they were playing to not let her go baseline for her shot. From what I saw, a delayed double coming from the middle, counting on the fact that they'll be able to wall up enough to not let her sneak a pass across the lane to a low cutter from the oppo baseline. Everybody else struggling to find consistency from outside. Defensively, Purdue hasn't needed much room or time to get a 3-pointer away and there were a couple of sweet pick & roll dump-offs to the post that the Gophers were a little late in seeing.
 

Gophers start the half driving the lane and cut the lead to 48-38. TO Purdue
 

Nice, aggressive 3rd quarter start on offense. Defense is moving and covering pretty well so far.
 

56-43 Boilers heading to the 4th. Micheaux with 2 points and 13 rebounds. Woltman with 10 points and 6 rebounds.
 




2 quick 4th quarter stops. Got to score out of those to come back.
 


I know there's still time, but it feels like the Gophers squandered their chance to cut this down to 3-5 points when they got 7 stops in 8 possessions and could only make up 4 points. Ugh.
 


Hopefully the week off now can get them rested up, they missed far too many open shots today and the last few games, gotta wonder if the freshman are feeling the fatigue.
 

I caught the last minute and when they had the ball I was thinking you're down big, why are you wasting time waiting for everyone to get back? Also the announcers were like this was a big win for Purdue, really?
 

I caught the last minute and when they had the ball I was thinking you're down big, why are you wasting time waiting for everyone to get back? Also the announcers were like this was a big win for Purdue, really?
Well, to be fair, they are probably local student announcers. And, Purdue also came into this game well under 500 in the Big Ten and a loss to the Gophers would have put them down in the Weakling Wednesday conversation. So, in a way, any conference win that keeps you in the middle and out of the bottom is a big win.
 

I caught the last minute and when they had the ball I was thinking you're down big, why are you wasting time waiting for everyone to get back? Also the announcers were like this was a big win for Purdue, really?
Big win is overstating it but Purdue is considered a bubble team at the moment so they need to win games like this. Minnesota is still a top 100 NET win so its a solid win.
 

The good (sorta): we had 13 turnovers. The bad: Micheaux had 5 of them. The ugly: Purdue scored 20 points off the 13 turnovers
 


Disappointing game. The Gophers had an opportunity to get an important win and climb up in the standings. Purdue was stronger and more physical than the Gophers. I agree Braun and others need to hit the weight room this summer. Plus, Purdue was really hot with 3-point shooting. It will be interesting next year to sometimes be able to play Rose and Hart together against big, physical teams. We need 3-point shooting. Braun is in a slump. Katie B and Heyer are on-and-off. Battle won't shoot threes. And, the rest of the team you don't want shooting threes. Defense still is weak.
 


Well, I liked that Rose was willing to pass the ball when she was double-teamed...and I like that Braun was willing to take more shots, even though she had another cold shooting night. As others have pointed out, the Gophers are not a good 3-point shooting team and this group is going to have to get better at that if they want to win consistently. Say what you want about Scalia and the areas in her game that were lacking, but she could shoot the three.
 

Well, I liked that Rose was willing to pass the ball when she was double-teamed...and I like that Braun was willing to take more shots, even though she had another cold shooting night. As others have pointed out, the Gophers are not a good 3-point shooting team and this group is going to have to get better at that if they want to win consistently. Say what you want about Scalia and the areas in her game that were lacking, but she could shoot the three.
Yup this team would have 4-5 more wins with Scalia imo, they really need to hit the portal to find an experienced guard that can shoot it this offseason.
 

disappointing game but considering they shot 27%, the loss is unavoidable. Most of their looks were good, they are just psychologically fragile. This will get better with experience and depth/competition. I liked fewer turnovers, still leading in rebounding after such a horrible shooting performance, more passing attempts by rose, more aggressive mid range shots by Braun. I want to see battle shoot more from 3 and Katie generate more assists. She still had some drives and shots in the trees that were not wise but they didn’t cost us this time and they were less egregious. If she would use these drives to set up assists that would be great. 3 point defense was the only controllable complaint I have today. I feel like they will learn a lot from this game because there was some good things even with the lopsided score.
 

Well, I liked that Rose was willing to pass the ball when she was double-teamed...and I like that Braun was willing to take more shots, even though she had another cold shooting night. As others have pointed out, the Gophers are not a good 3-point shooting team and this group is going to have to get better at that if they want to win consistently. Say what you want about Scalia and the areas in her game that were lacking, but she could shoot the three.
Scalia is BIG10 conference games thus far. Role player off bench and help spread the floor for IU.
13-60 21% FG%
3-28 11% 3PT%
 




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