Purdue Sports Update: March 11

Women’s Hoops Season Ends in Big Ten Tournament

Trailing by double digits at the break, the women’s basketball team rallied in the second half only for its comeback bid to fall short, as the 14th-seed Boilermakers fell to 11th-seed Oregon on Wednesday night in the first round of the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

After a slow start offensively in the first half, the Boilermakers (13-17) heated up over the final 20 minutes, shooting 63% from the field, 6-of-11 (54.5%) from distance and outscoring the Ducks (21-11) 22-11 in the paint and 13-8 off turnovers.

Down by as many as 26 points in the second quarter, Purdue chipped the gap down to 12 at the midway point of the fourth but could not get it down to single digits.

The Boilermakers finished the night shooting 41.7% from the floor and 8-of-25 (32%) from behind the arc. Lana McCarthy and Hila Karsh were two of the three Boilermakers in double figures, combing for 25 of Purdue’s 30 bench points on the night.

McCarthy tallied 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting and tallied nine rebounds with a career-high three assists. Karsh connected three times from the outside to go for 11 points, all in the second half, for her first game in double figures in nine games. Tara Daye posted her 21st game in double figures this season with 11 points, including a pair of triples.

The Boilermakers allowed 15 points on 10 turnovers, while turning nine Oregon miscues into 16 points.

The Ducks put three players in double figures, eld by a 20-point outing from Katie Fiso. Oregon shot 41% on the evening and 5-of-16 (31.3%) from distance and finished plus-15 on the glass, 42-27, with 23 points on 14 offensive rebounds.

The Ducks took advantage of a 24.2% shooting clip by the Boilermakers in the first half, including 2-of-14 from behind the arc, to build a 47-24 lead at the break. Oregon took 16 more free throws on the night, finishing 27-of-29 to Purdue’s 6-of-13.

NOTES
• Oregon leads the all-time series 3-0.
• Kendall Puryear, Kiki Smith and Lana McCarthy fouled out, marking the fourth time since the 2002-03 season that Purdue had a trio foul out.
• Purdue finished with 20 or more bench points for the 20th time this season.
• Daye is the 15th Boilermaker in the last 10 years to post 21 double-digit outings.
• Karsh posted her eighth game with multiple 3-pointers this season.  

Baseball Drops Two of Three in Big Ten Opener

Sam Flores connected for Baseball’s first inside-the-park home run at Alexander Field since 2014, but the four-run inning was the only frame in which the Boilermakers scored in a 15-4 rubber game loss to No. 23 Oregon on Sunday.

The Ducks (12-3, 2-1 Big Ten) pounded out 20 hits while scoring in six of the game’s eight innings, posting multiple runs in four straight frames from the third through the sixth. They connected for seven extra-base hits (3 doubles, 4 home runs) while striking out just twice.

After a two-out RBI single from Aaron Manias put Purdue (9-4, 1-2 Big Ten) on the board in the bottom of the third, Flores followed with an opposite-field gapper to left center. Oregon center fielder Jack Brooks didn’t pull up in his effort to make the inning-ending catch, crashing into the wall and ending up flat on his back on the warning track. Inexplicably, left fielder Jax Gimenez ran toward third base instead of backing up Brooks at the outfield wall. Flores was able to trot home after rounding second base, ultimately celebrating his second home run of the series and fourth of the season.

The three-run homer cut the Boilermakers’ deficit to 5-4, but the Ducks responded with three consecutive multi-run innings.

Purdue’s last inside-the-park home run was off the bat of Harry Shipley as part of a ninth-inning comeback in a May 2018 win at Ball State. Jeff Evak hit the only other inside-the-park home run by a Boilermaker at Alexander Field, circling the bases in an April 2014 win vs. Ohio State.

Purdue used nine pitchers, with only one of the eight relievers recording three outs or more. A game-opening zero from Jarvis Evans and another zero from Jacob Boland against the top of the lineup in the top of the seventh accounted for the Boilermakers’ only scoreless innings of the day.

Zach Erdman delivered his second shutout performance of the season and Aaron Manias provided the offense with a two-run single as Purdue won a 2-1 pitcher’s duel vs. No. 23 Oregon on Saturday at Alexander Field to even the Big Ten Conference series.

The Boilermakers (9-4, 1-1 Big Ten) posted their second win of the season against a nationally ranked opponent. They were also victorious in 2-1 fashion behind a strong outing from Erdman for the second time this year. The lefty matched his collegiate career high with seven strikeouts and has now fanned 14 over 13 innings of shutout ball in those 2-1 wins, both coming against teams from the state of Oregon.

Manias also delivered the game-winning, two-run single in the 2-1 win on Valentine’s Day vs. Portland.

In his Alexander Field debut, Jake Kramer closed out the victory by striking out the Ducks’ 3-hole and cleanup hitters with the tying run aboard. Kramer’s performance punctuated a day in which the Purdue bullpen delivered 12 outs to back up Erdman.

The Boilermakers had a season-high 11 strikeouts on the mound for the third game in a row. Those strikeouts helped Purdue strand 12 base runners on a day in which the home team did not enjoy a true 1-2-3 inning.

Jimmy Dionne connected for a pinch-hit three-run homer in his first at-bat at Alexander Field and Sam Flores hit a two-run blast in the ninth inning, but Purdue’s rally came up a run short in an 8-7 loss to No. 23 Oregon on Friday in the Big Ten opener.

The Boilermakers (8-4, 0-1 Big Ten) trailed 7-1 entering the fourth inning but managed to bring the go-ahead run to the plate with two outs in the bottom of the ninth.

The game was played in front of a crowd of 1,927 on a 75-degree Friday in Greater Lafayette, setting an attendance record in the home opener at Alexander Field for the second year in a row.

Dionne barreled up for a home run into the right field bullpen with Aaron Manias and Jackson Bessette aboard in the sixth inning. Flores followed Westin Boyle‘s leadoff triple in the ninth with an opposite-field shot to left center. Flores also connected for a double off the wall in right center for Purdue’s first extra-base hit of the game.

Graham Kollen (2 2/3 IP, 2 H, R, 0 BB, 4 K) and Noah Filer (1-2-3 ninth) teamed up for 3 2/3 innings of one-hit relief as the Boilermakers posted five zeros over the final six innings.

A two-out grand slam from Burke-Lee Mabeus batting in the in the 8-hole was the big blow in Oregon’s five-run third inning. And a solo homer from 9-hole hitter Jack Brooks in the eighth inning proved to be the game-deciding run.

On Tuesday March 10, Purdue scored at least four runs in each of the first three innings to put 15 on the board early in a 17-1 rout of Milwaukee on Tuesday at Alexander Field.

The Boilermakers (10-5) scored their 17 runs on a season-high 17 hits. The 17 runs were Purdue’s most at Alexander since scoring 18 in an April 2024 win vs. East Tennessee State.

The Boilermakers batted around in each of the first three innings – scoring four in the first, six in the second and five in the third. Sam Flores (RBI single, walk, home run), CJ Richmond (RBI single, sac fly, single), Avery Moore (sac fly, walk, single), Dylan Drake (single, RBI single, HBP) and Jackson Bessette (RBI single, walk, two-run double) all had a productive plate appearance in all three frames.

Purdue’s pitching staff also had a strong day, surrendering just an unearned and no extra base hits. While pitching with the big lead, the Boilers pounded the strike zone and did not issue a free pass (walk or HBP) after the fourth inning.

The top defensive plays of the day both came in the fifth inning on the right side of the field. Richmond made a diving catch at first base to prevent a leadoff single and Ali Banks contributed a diving catch in right field two batters later.

Purdue’s base-hit approach produced many of the runs. Fifteen of the 17 hits – including the first eight – were singles. Both extra-base hits came in the third inning – a 420-foot leadoff home run to center field from Flores and a two-run from Bessette.

Softball Extends Win Streak to 10

Softball closed out the Boilermaker Classic with a commanding 9-0 win over Green Bay. The Boilers are now on a 10 game win streak. 

The Boilers scored early and often against the Phoenix, plating four runs in the first, three in the second, and a lone run in both the third and fourth.

Softball swept day three of the Boilermaker Classic, heading into the final day 4-0.

The Boilers started the day with a 5-2 victory over Northern Illinois, before closing it out with an 8-0 run rule victory over Green Bay.

The NIU Huskies got on the board in the top of the first on a double and a single, but the Boilers immediately came fighting back, tying it up in the bottom of the inning on an RBI groundout from Ashlynn Campbell.

Purdue put the game away in the sixth, scoring one more run as pinch-runner, Moriah Polar, scored off Delaney Reefe‘s RBI double to left center.

After two perfect tournament weekends, Purdue will face Indiana State for a midweek matchup on Wednesday before beginning Big Ten conference play this weekend, hosting Ohio State.

Blaze Wins Big Ten Bronze; 4 Boilers to NCAA Championships

Junior Joey Blaze won his second consecutive bronze medal at the Big Ten Conference Wrestling Championships on Sunday.

Purdue’s All-American was leading Nebraska’s No. 4 LJ Araujo 5-1 midway through the third-place match when the Cornhusker injury defaulted, giving Blaze the win inside Penn State’s Bryce Jordan Center.

Blaze (No. 2 at 165 lbs.) responded from his first loss of the season on Saturday to wrestle all the way back and finish third, which is the best possible outcome for anyone who drops a match before the finals.

Purdue’s foursome of Blaze, Blake Boarman (fifth at 133), Brody Baumann (eighth at 174) and Ben Vanadia (eighth at 197) earned spots on the Big Ten podium and secured automatic qualifying spots for the NCAA Championships in Cleveland on March 19-21.

Other Boilermakers could remain in the mix for nationals with at-large selections, which will be announced in the coming week.

Since he also placed third last year at 157, Blaze is the first Boilermaker to earn consecutive top-three conference finishes since Devin Schroder in 2020 and 2021. More impressively, Blaze is the first to do so in different weight classes since Dave Walter from 1989 and 1990.

The 2025 NCAA finalist added four wins over the weekend against the current No. 7, No. 8, No. 11 and No. 16 wrestlers in the country. With a record of 22-1, including 11 ranked victories, Blaze’s chief objective remains intact: becoming Purdue’s first national champion since 1992.

Boarman became a second-time NCAA qualifier in his first season as a Boilermaker. He wrestled the past four years at Chattanooga and qualified for the 2025 national tournament before transferring to Purdue last offseason.

Boarman took a big leap forward in his Big Ten tournament debut, upsetting the No. 7 seed Sean Spidle and defending national champion Lucas Byrd (No. 2), who had won 29 straight matches entering the bout. Read more about his shocking upset here.

Another homegrown talent from Evansville, Ind., Baumann earned his third venture to the NCAA Championships in his redshirt junior season. He beat No. 7 Ethan Riddle in the second consolation round, which was the only win he needed to make his third appearance at nationals. Baumann was one of just five Indiana natives to qualify for NCAAs the past two years and the only underclassman to do so.

Vanadia competed in his fourth and final Big Ten tournament and won the only match that he wrestled in, defeating No. 7 Kael Wisler 7-2 before injury defaulting his remaining bouts. Vanadia did just enough despite a grueling final month of the season and opted to save his best stuff for the national tournament in two weeks.

Hailing from Brecksville, Ohio, Vanadia will return to his home state to wrestle on the sport’s grandest stage in two weeks.

Purdue finished 12th in the Big Ten tournament standings with 29.5 team points.

UP NEXT

Purdue’s four automatic qualifiers and any potential at-large selections will head to Cleveland for the 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships on March 19-21. The three-day national tournament will take place inside Rocket Arena, home of the NBA’s Cavaliers.

Brown and Purdue Place 4th in Shootout at Wachesaw

Samantha Brown fired a pair of under-par rounds to lead Women’s Golf in the one-day, 36-hole Shootout at Wachesaw on Monday. The sophomore Boilermaker carded rounds of 70 (-2) and 71 (-1) at Wachesaw Plantation Club, placing fourth on the individual leaderboard and helping the Boilermakers (+8) finish fourth as a team by recoding the fourth-best 36-hole total in school history (70-71—141).

No. 18 South Carolina (-3) captured the team title in its home state, a four-shot victory over Minnesota (+1). Augusta (+7) was one stroke ahead of Purdue, while Iowa (+20), Coastal Carolina (+24) and Wisconsin (+26) rounded out the field.

Brown finished 3-under to etch her name into the school record book, cracking the Top 5 for 36-hole scores. With back-to-back under-par rounds, she increased her total to a team-high 13 par-or-better rounds this season. Her fourth-place finish was the best of her career and her second straight Top 5 performance after tying for fifth at last month’s Spartan Sun Coast Invitational. The sophomore paced the field in par-5 scoring (-2), while also ranking third in par-4 scoring (-2). Brown made seven birdies throughout the day and committed only four bogeys.

Freshman Luana Valero tied for 10th individually to earn the first Top 10 of her collegiate career. The Colombian carded a 74 (+2) to start the day before four birdies in her second round led to an even-par 72. Valero’s 2-over 146 (74-72) cracks the Top 20 for best 36-hole totals in program history, tying for 17th.

Lauren Timpf (+6) shot 73 (+1) in the afternoon to shave three strokes off her opening round. Timpf matched Brown in playing the par 5s 2-under par to lead the field.

Michaela Headlee and Ashley Kim shot 74 (+2) in the first round to contribute to the team score. Headlee’s morning featured three straight birdies, as the sophomore’s putter caught fire. Kim added a 76 (+4) in the second round, while Headlee settled for a 78 (+6).

Up next, the Boilermakers return to South Carolina for the second straight week, competing in the Briar’s Creek Invitational on Johns Island (March 16-17).

Men’s Tennis Tripped Up by LA Schools

Sophomore Nour Fathalla picked up the highest-ranked win of his career, downing No. 57 Spencer Johnson 7-6(6), 2-6, 6-3. Overall, the Purdue Boilermakers (4-7) suffered a 1-6 defeat to the No. 26 UCLA Bruins (8-3).

The hard-fought dual included four tiebreakers in the first frame (three of which went to 8-6 scores), with the Bruins taking the edge in three.

In singles, Fathalla picked up his first win of Big Ten play as the league’s opening-weekend wrapped up, improving his record to 5-5. Fathalla, coming off a pair of tiebreak heartbreakers against USC on Friday (6-7[4], 6-7[6]), restored his momentum with a win to open his match against No. 57 Spencer Johnson.

It was the first time the two programs have met in West Lafayette, and the second time overall.

Purdue (4-6, 0-1 Big Ten) fell to No. 22 USC (9-3, 1-0 Big Ten) in the Big Ten season-opener, 1-6. In the dual, junior Juan David Velasquez picked up a hard-fought victory, taking the match in super tiebreak 12-10.

Battling for the doubles point, the Boilermakers were within one point on two of the three courts, ultimately falling 2-6 and 4-6 while the duo of Juan David Velasquez and Jacob Lee’s match, tied at 5-5, went unfinished.

In singles, despite a hot start that saw nearly every court ahead after the first three sets, the Trojans came back to pace the team. Velasquez, playing at the No. 5 position, picked up a win vs. Niels Hoffman: 3-6, 7-5, 12-10 to improve to a 5-3 record this spring.

Women’s Tennis Takes Down Hoosiers, 4-2

Purdue opened Big Ten play with a victory for the fifth consecutive year as the team took down the Indiana Hoosiers on the road, 4-2. With the win, Purdue has secured eight of the last nine wins against Indiana.

Purdue continues its winning streak, improving to three straight (5-4, 1-0 Big Ten) while handing Indiana its third loss of the season (9-3, 0-1 Big Ten).

The gritty win saw the doubles point need extra points to decide the victors on two of the three courts, including the point-clincher by Ece Gencer and Ida Clement coming down to an 8-6 tiebreak win. The tandem of Gencer and Clement have led to three consecutive wins for the dual.

Meanwhile in singles, Gencer continued her winning tear, improving to 8-1 record on the year after downing Indiana’s Ameia Sorey 2-6, 7-6(4), 6-1. Ida Clement also picked up her third straight win (3-2 record) with a 6-2, 1-6, 6-2 win and freshman Emmi Kolyszko defeating Chase Boyer with a dominant 6-3, 6-0 result for her third win this season, including second straight.

Up next, Purdue returns home to host Minnesota and Wisconsin next weekend. First, the Boilermakers will take on the Golden Gophers on Friday at 4 p.m. ET, followed by the Badgers on Sunday at Noon.