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| 03-21-2005 | Previous edition: 03-11-2005 |
        
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Printer-friendly version Boilers use aggressive play to defeat New Mexico
Assistant Sports Editor KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Purdue attempted 21 free throws, while New Mexico shot only two free throws in the Boilers’ 68-56 victory on Sunday. No. 9 seed Purdue proved to be more aggressive and more physical than its opponent, which was important to the Boiler victory, according to coach Kristy Curry. "We were more aggressive," Curry said. "I think the difference was that we were attacking and we got to the foul line a little more." In the second half, sophomore forward Erin Lawless and senior forward Emily Heikes made seven separate trips to the free-throw line, five of which came after made field goals. "And-ones are just about heart and hustle," Lawless said. "Coach emphasized that a lot at half, to get the ball (inside) more." Lawless, who finished with a game-high 22 points, was able to stay out of foul trouble for much of the game, even though the Boilers were physical inside. Heikes said she and the rest of her frontcourt teammates played a little more physical than they had in other games. "I think we stepped up and were a lot more physical than we were in the past," she said. "Especially down there with Erin and (freshman forward) Lindsay (Wisdom-Hylton) at the four, they both did a wonderful job." Even with the Boilers’ second half success inside, No. 8 seed New Mexico found itself down by only one point with less than nine minutes remaining. But a 3-pointer from Wisdom-Hylton and a pair of free throws from Lawless quickly extended the Purdue lead to six. Curry said her players stepped up and made key plays in the second half. "Our kids executed down the stretch," she said. "They showed a lot of maturity. (They) played well and I am very proud of this team. The first half, however, didn’t feature the Boilers’ best execution. Purdue led by as many as 10 points, but the Lobos’ defense allowed them to get back into the game and eventually tie the score at 29 at halftime. "I thought that (the 2-3 zone) was the best defense to play against them to win the game," New Mexico coach Don Flanagan said. "We played well in the first half and I thought our zone bothered them a bit." The Boilers began attacking the Lobos’ zone a little more in the second half, as sophomore Katie Gearlds found herself open on several different occasions. "I got some shots in transition," said Gearlds, who finished with 16 points. "(Junior guard) Sharika (Webb) did an excellent job of penetrating their zone and dishing it out." Webb finished with four points, but she had six assists and only one turnover. Purdue will need its best performance on Tuesday as the Boilers face No. 1 seed Tennessee. PURDUE 68, NEW MEXICO 56 PURDUE (17-12) Wisdom-Hylton 6-11 3-4 17, Lawless 8-16 5-7 22, Heikes 2-3 2-4 6, Gearlds 6-12 2-2 16, Webb 1-8 2-2 4, Bogdanova 0-0 0-0 0, Traore 1-4 1-2 3, Pollack 0-0 0-0 0, Mays 0-0 0-0 0, Duncan 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-54 15-21 68. NEW MEXICO (26-5) Letz 1-9 0-0 2, Arndt 4-7 0-0 8, Marsh 3-12 2-2 8, Montgomery 1-6 0-0 3, Moore 7-13 0-0 18, Shetters 4-5 0-0 8, Black 0-1 0-0 0, Vogt 4-5 0-0 9, E-Nunu 0-1 0-0 0, Francis 0-1 0-0 0, Olude 0-0 0-0 0, Briody 0-2 0-0 0, Kimble 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 24-65 2-2 56. Halftime-Tied at 29. 3-Point goals—Purdue 5-16 (Wisdom-Hylton 2-3, Gearlds 2-6, Lawless 1-2, Webb 0-5). New Mexico 6-21 (Moore 4-6, Vogt 1-2, Montgomery 1-5, Briody 0-1, Kimble 0-1, Letz 0-6). Fouled out-None. Rebounds-Purdue 40 (Wisdom-Hylton 12), New Mexico 35 (Montgomery 9). Assists-Purdue 15 (Webb 6), New Mexico 12 (Montgomery 5). Total fouls-Purdue 11, New Mexico 18. A-NA. Printer-friendly version |
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