Purdue Sports Update March 14
WBB FALLS TO NEBRASKA, SWANSON SETS FRESHMAN RECORD
Sophie Swanson scored a career-high 25 points and made a record seven 3-pointers, but it was not enough as the No. 12 seed Purdue women’s basketball team fell to No. 5 seed Nebraska 64-56 on last Thursday afternoon in the second round of Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament.
Swanson powered the Boilermakers behind 9-of-13 shooting, including a 7-of-9 mark from behind the arc. Swanson’s nine triples were the most in a single game by a freshman and tied for fourth overall in Purdue history. It matched Brittany Rayburn’s Purdue single-game tournament record set in 2012 against Penn State.
The Barrington native also etched her name into the Big Ten record books, tying for most triples by a freshman in tournament history and placing fourth for most in a single game.
Abbey Ellis followed up her first career double-double with 11 points, four rebounds and four assists. It was her eighth straight game in double figures.
Jeanae Terry nearly reached 1,000 rebounds in her career. The fifth-year senior tallied 11 boards to go with four points, three assists, three blocks and three steals. It was just the fifth 3×5 by a Big Ten player this season. Terry finished with double-digit boards for the fourth straight game.
Purdue (13-18) shot 36.1% and had all seven triples come from Swanson. The Boilermakers took advantage of 19 Nebraska miscues to score a season-high 27 points off giveaways. Ellis and Rashunda Jones evenly split eight of Purdue’s 13 assists on the afternoon.
Nebraska (20-10) finished with a 41.1% shooting clip with a trio of players in double figures. The Cornhuskers won the rebounding battle 41-36 but managed just seven points off 10 second chance opportunities.
Defense set the tone in the first quarter with the two sides shooting a combined 8-for-33. Jeanae Terry started strong with four points and five rebounds in the opening frame. Purdue finished the final 4:30 of the period on an 8-2 run to take a 12-7 lead.
Sophie Swanson gave the Boilermakers a spark off the bench with seven points on 3-of-4 shooting, including a 3-pointer, in the second. Purdue forced eight turnovers in the second, but Nebraska connected on half its shots with four triples to tie the game at 25-25 at the break.
After both sides shot under 35% in the first half, the Cornhuskers used two runs of 10-plus points to pull away in the second half.
Ellis and Stevenson combined for a 6-1 run midway through the third to give Purdue a 31-30 advantage. Nebraska punched back with a 10-0 run, before Ellis converted an and-one opportunity and Swanson hit a triple to pull the Boilermakers back within three going into the fourth.
Swanson hit a pair of 3-pointers in the first two minutes of the fourth to keep it a one-possession game, but Nebraska rolled off 16 straight points until Mary Ashley Stevenson made a pair of free throws with 3:48 to play.
Down as many as 16, Swanson made three more 3-pointers and Jones connected on a floater in the lane in the final three minutes to pull Purdue all the way back within six.
Purdue became the only team in the nation this season to have three different freshmen record a 20-point performance.
The Boilermakers will wait until after Selection Sunday (March 17) to find out whether they will play in a post-season tournament. Despite their 13-18 record, Purdue may be needed to fill a tournament field.
PURDUE SOARS UP LEADERBOARD, EARNS TOP 3 FINISH BEHIND KOZLOWSKI’S 67
Entering the final round of the Briar’s Creek Invitational in eighth, Purdue Women’s Golf used a 4-under 284 to soar up the leaderboard and place third in the 17-team event. The Boilermakers (+7) earned their fourth Top 3 finish of the season, beating a pair of Top 25 teams and six Big Ten teams at the Golf Club at Briar’s Creek.
Purdue’s 4-under final round was the second-best team total of the day behind NC State’s 281 (-7). The Wolfpack (+1) were runners-up, while Michigan State (-4) claimed the tournament title. The Boilermakers followed in third, finishing ahead of Illinois (+9), No. 17 UCF (+9) and No. 10 Florida (+11) to round out the top third of the leaderboard.
For the fourth time this season, Ashley Kozlowski led the Boilermakers in a tournament. The senior fired a final round 67 (-5) to move into red figures and finish 4-under (73-72-67—212) at the conclusion of the 54-hole event. Kozlowski jumped into the Top 5 of the individual leaderboard, securing her third Top 10 finish of the 2023-24 campaign. During her final round, she birdied three of the four par 5s on the course to go along with a trio of birdies on par 4s. Kozlowski’s six birdies were part of a bogey-free 17 holes before a lone blemish at the par-3 fourth, her final hole of the day.
Momo Sugiyama recorded her second straight under-par round, carding a 70 (-2) to tie for seventh at 1-over (74-71-70—215). The Australian birdied four of her first six holes to get off to a fast start before rattling off nine straight pars to remain 4-under through 15. A pair of bogeys down the stretch dropped Sugiyama to 2-under to end her day, which still remained her best round of the tournament.
Another major contribution to Purdue’s low final round was a 70 (-2) from Natasha Kiel. After struggling the first day of the tournament, the junior transfer bounced back by posting her best round as a Boilermaker. Kiel started the round with a birdie at the par-5 seventh, while adding another birdie at No. 11 to move to 2-under. A bogey on No. 13 was followed by seven straight pars until she recorded her third birdie of the day. The birdie at the third got Kiel back to 2-under for her round, and she parred the final three holes to complete her 70.
Up next, Purdue closes out a busy month. The Boilermakers return to The Bruzzy Challenge at Dornick Hills Country Club in Oklahoma (March 30-31) for the second straight season, competing in their third tournament during the month of March.
BASEBALL OPENS HOME SLATE STRONG
Purdue scored six runs in its first inning at Alexander Field this season and later got a 10-strikeout performance from pitcher Luke Wagner, sweeping Saturday’s home-opening doubleheader with UAlbany.
The Boilermakers (10-4) won game one 11-3 and the nightcap 6-1 behind a quality start from Wagner. Purdue turned six double plays on the day, registering four in a game for the first time since March 2018. Wagner’s 10 strikeouts were the most by a Boilermaker since Jackson Smeltz struck out 13 Hoosiers in an April 2022 win at Alexander.
Mike Bolton Jr. (5-for-9, 2 doubles, walk) had five hits on the day. Camden Gasser (3-for-7, 2 walks, 5 RBI) also reached base safely more often than he was out. Bolton scored from second base on Gasser’s two-run infield single in the fourth inning of the nightcap.
Matching seven-run innings in game one and five-run frames in the nightcap powered a 28-run Sunday as Purdue swept a doubleheader for the second day in a row to complete a four-game series sweep of UAlbany.
The Boilermakers (12-4) won game one 16-6 and the nightcap 12-1. They’ve now scored 59 runs in their five Sunday victories this season. Both games ended in seven innings due to a 10-run rule being in place for the weekend.
While completing the first four-game series sweep in the history of Alexander Field, Purdue scored 45 runs in 29 innings at the plate and racked up 43 strikeouts in 32 innings on the mound. Sunday, the Boilermakers scored seven times in the first and third innings of game one, and five times in the third and fourth innings of the nightcap. Jonathan Blackwell (5 IP, 4 H, R, 0 BB) led the way with a career-high nine punchouts in the nightcap, teaming up with Davis Pratt and Easton Storey to strikeout 14 of the 28 batters to come to the plate.
SOFTBALL TAKES TWO IN FT. MYERS
The softball squad split the opening day of the FGCU Spring Break Classic, downing Pitt 9-2 before falling to #12 Florida State, 3-8.
With the morning’s win, head coach Magali Frezzotti reached her 10th win at the helm of the program, as Purdue moved to 10-9 on the season.
Purdue notched 13 hits in the victory vs. Pitt, one shy of the team’s season-high. Moreover, it marked the second consecutive game with double-digit hits and the fifth of the season. The effort led by designated player Kate Claypool’s three hits. The Boilermaker went a perfect three-for-three from the plate, and posted two RBI singles.
Madi Elish tossed the complete-game victory vs. Pitt, improving to 2-3 on the season after allowing no walks, two runs and seven hits in seven innings. Her win marked the second straight for the junior, who was coming off a complete-game victory at Marshall (3/3).
Home runs burned the Boilermakers as the team fell, 1-9 in six innings to the Pitt Panthers in Day 2 of the FGCU Spring Break Classic. It was the first run-rule of the season for Purdue.
The Boilermakers’ effort was highlighted by an RBI triple by freshman Moriah Polar, scoring senior outfielder Kiara Dillon in the fifth inning. Dillon, who walked to first, stole second during Polar’s at-bat to be put in scoring position. The hit was Polar’s first career triple.
All nine Panther runs came on homers, including a grand slam in the first inning, which proved to be the game-winner.
Receiving the loss is starting pitcher Jules Raymond (1-1). The freshman walked three batters and allowed no hits before relief pitcher Kendall Klochack entered in the first inning. Klochack closed the remaining five frames, striking out four batters and walking none during the outing.
Doubles led to all four of Purdue’s runs scored as softball (11-11) fought back from a 0-1 deficit to beat Western Michigan, 4-1. Freshman pitcher Julia Gosset picked up her fourth win of the season with the result, sealing it with a double play as she made the catch and throw to first for the final two outs.
Designated player Kate Claypool is credited with the game-winning at-bat, sending a double to right center field for the two-run go-ahead in the sixth inning. Ashlynn Campbell and pinch runner Kiersen George each scored after executing a double-steal to advance in scoring position during Calypool’s at-bat. On the day, Claypool earned two walks in addition to the double.
Tyrina Jones recorded an RBI double in the top of the seventh inning, scoring Khloe Banks. Sage Scarmardo followed the at-bat with a single, which scored Jones from second.
In total, Purdue out-hit Western Michigan, 8-5. Purdue committed one error, which allowed the Broncos’ lone run to be scored. Western Michigan committed one error as well.
Gossett (4-3) secured two strikeouts, including one looking during her complete-game victory. The freshman allowed three walks in 29 batters faced.
Purdue’s home-opener is set for Thursday at Bittinger Stadium, as the Boilermakers open a three-game series vs. Nebraska Omaha. The Thursday through Saturday series will mark the final non-conference weekend before Big Ten play begins.
PURDUE TAKES 5 NCAA SPOTS, FINISHES 9TH AT BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
Purdue came away from a busy weekend of wrestling with five placewinners, five tickets punched to the national tournament and a ninth-place team finish at the 2024 Big Ten Wrestling Championships in the XFINITY Center.
Matt Ramos (4th at 125), Joey Blaze (5th at 157), Stoney Buell (7th at 165), Brody Baumann (8th at 174) and Dustin Norris (8th at 133) accounted for the five medals for the Boilermakers. Ramos, Blaze, Buell and Baumann all earned auto-bids to the 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Kansas City with their placements.
Head coach Tony Ersland‘s squad added a fifth qualifier when true-freshman Greyson Clark came from behind to upset No. 26 ranked Jordan Hamdan of Michigan State in the extra eleventh-place bracket. Down five in the third period, Clark picked up a seven point move off a cradle to secure his spot at nationals.
Norris’ eighth place finish came up one spot shy of automatic qualification. He will have to wait and see for a possible at-large bid when the NCAA committee announces their selections on Wednesday, March 13.
Ramos opened his Sunday with a dramatic sudden victory win over Michigan’s Michael DeAugustino. Tied 1-1 headed into overtime, Ramos dove in on a single, scrambled for a bit and ultimately got the Wolverine on his back to take the fall and advance to the third-place match. There he would come up short against Iowa’s Drake Ayala in a tight 4-1 contest. Ramos beat Ayala in the dual meet earlier this year by the same score.
Redshirt-sophomore Stoney Buell finished his tournament strong with a dominant 15-7 major decision over Minnesota’s Blaine Brenner to take seventh. Four takedowns in the bout helped the Dundee, Mich., native avenge his earlier loss to Brenner and build momentum heading into NCAAs.
The true-freshman Blaze wrestled two tight matches on Sunday, coming up short in decisions against the No. 4 seed Jared Franek and No. 3 seed Brayton Lee on his way to a sixth place finish. He is the 16th first-year Boilermaker to earn a spot on the Big Ten podium. Baumann had a competitive showing in his 5-0 loss to Wisconsin’s Maxx Maylor to finish in eighth.
Up Next
The Boilermakers will travel to Kansas City for the 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships on March 21-23 at the T-Mobile Center.
16 SWIMMERS SET TO RACE AT NIC SHOWCASE IN SUNSHINE STATE
Sixteen Purdue swimmers – six women and 10 men – are closing out their seasons this week on a national stage, returning to Florida for the CSCAA National Invitational Championship.
The Boilermakers are sending student-athletes to the national showcase for the second year in a row. The College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America introduced the National Invitational Championship in 2018. The Florida Aquatics Swimming & Training facility north of Orlando is hosting this year. It was held held in the state of Indiana – Elkhart’s Beacon Health Aquatic Center – last season.
Purdue also spent a full week in Fort Lauderdale during winter break on campus, traveling to the Sunshine State for its winter training trip for the first time since the 2019-20 school year.
Representing the Boilermakers will be Mya Bailey, Olivia Callinswood, Keira Kask, Abby Marcukaitis, Ana Rojas and Cecilie Wiuff from the women’s team, as well as Maxwell Blume, Cooper Callahan, Alexander Cole, Gabe Eschbach, Luke Fortner, Mason Kajfosz, Lance Lesage, Rafael Rodriguez, Nathaniel Thomas and Ryan Zerpa from the men’s team. Wiuff, Fortner, Zerpa and Blume (while swimming for IUPUI) all qualified for the second year in a row. Kask, Cole, Kajfosz and Thomas all made it as freshmen. Lesage and Rodriguez are both South Florida natives returning to their home state.
They’re set to represent Purdue in 32 events – 10 women’s and 22 men’s – over the three-day, six-session invitational. There’s also a bonus long course time trials Sunday morning. The event schedule mirrors midseason invitationals in November, with the exception of the additional 50-yard races in the backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly featured Thursday. The 100 individual medley is also on the schedule for Saturday.
