Boilers hope to overcome December Irish loss with maturity

By Kyle Charters
Senior Writer

ST. LOUIS – Coach Kristy Curry said Purdue’s last game with Notre Dame "seemed like an eternity ago." In reality, it was on Dec. 9 when the Fighting Irish beat the Boilers 72-61 in South Bend, Ind.

Liz Nicol/Senior Photographer UP UP AND AWAY Freshman Shalicia Hurns attempts a shot against Southwest Missouri State's Ann Cavey on Friday night. Purdue's 81-64 victory advances them to the championship game against Norte Dame at 7:30 p.m. Sunday night.

Although it was less than four months ago, a lot has changed for Purdue. The most significant component may be the play of its five freshmen.

The third-seeded Boilers (31-6) hope the improvement of the freshmen will help them as they play No. 1 seed Notre Dame (33-2) again - this time for the NCAA National Championship. The game, which will be televised by ESPN, tips off at 7:30 p.m. Sunday in the Savvis Center.

"The thing about it is we had five freshmen, five seniors and a junior; we were still trying to figure one another out," said Curry. "We were in different places in every aspect of our worlds. I think we’ve had more time.

"You have to give the kids credit because they have really come together and they are recognizing where one another will be - the strengths of one another. So I feel like we are a better basketball team because we understand one another."

In the Boilers’ first game against the Irish, Purdue’s freshmen totaled just 16 points and six rebounds, all of which came from forwards Shereka Wright and Shalicia Hurns. Since that game, though, both of those freshmen have moved into Purdue’s starting lineup. Hurns replaced Candi Crawford as the starting power forward on Jan. 14. On March 26, Wright began filling in for freshman Erika Valek, who tore her anterior cruciate ligament in Purdue’s win against Texas Tech two days earlier.

"I think (the veterans) really helped me get used to the rotation and the transition from high school to college, just to really step up and play," said Wright. "Against Notre Dame this time, we really have to step up and play in more of a team effort than it was the first time we played them."

In Purdue’s semifinal game against Southwest Missouri State on Friday, Wright and Hurns combined for 20 points and 18 rebounds while playing 34 minutes each. For the season, Wright is averaging 9.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game while Hurns is averaging 9.1 points and 6.5 rebounds.

"I think their freshmen have matured," said Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw. "I think early in the season they were just freshmen. Now they are seasoned freshmen. So I think that’s probably the difference."

Curry said she really started to see an improvement in the freshmen’s play during Purdue’s 73-64 win against Michigan on Feb. 4. Hurns was in the starting lineup and Wright also started that game because senior All-American Katie Douglas was out with an ankle injury.

"They (were) starting to understand," said Curry. "And I just saw these kids say ‘hey, let's take it from here.’ One of our seniors had fallen and they really started to come together about that time."

Besides the improvement of her freshmen, Curry thinks the first game with Notre Dame will help Purdue, which had 26 turnovers and shot only 9 of 19 from the free throw line in the first meeting, to prepare for the rematch.

"Any time you have a chance to see an opponent, it puts you a step ahead and the same goes for them," she said. "The one thing about it is we’re two totally different basketball teams than we were ... We’re both better and I think it will be a different game because of that."