HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. - Bridget Perry is grateful for the bike that just so happened to be next to Purdue's bench Wednesday night.
The sophomore wing used it to try to keep warm, after her foot got caught under her, straining her already strained hamstring, in the first half of Purdue's 58-56 win over Wisconsin in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament.
"That bike was already there, luckily," Perry said in the locker room after the win. "The thing with the hamstring is that you have to keep them warm. It's one of those things, with certain movements it doesn't extend right."
Perry has tried to battle through the pain lately. After coming back in early February from a month-long absence following a high ankle sprain, she's dealt with hamstring and Achilles tightness, perhaps a result of the conditioning she had lost. It caused her to not be at 100 percent, although she's trying. In the win Wednesday, she had three points and three rebounds in 11 minutes.
"They switch places," Perry said of the injuries. "But I'm supposed to ice as much as I can in the next 24 hours and hope it's all right."
Perry wants to be able to contribute - 14th-seeded Purdue plays sixth seed Minnesota at 9:30 p.m. Thursday in the second round - but knows the injuries might be limiting.
"I've got to do whatever I can to get healthy," she said. "Injuries stink because they prevent you from getting in a rhythm but I'm so proud of everybody on the team. We have Minnesota next and momentum is going our way. We're going to take people by surprise."
• The Boilermakers have beaten the Golden Gophers once this season, when they shot better than 60 percent in the first half to gain a 15-point advantage, then hold on for an overtime victory on Jan. 22.
It might take a similar effort.
In that game, Purdue shot 51.4 percent, while assisting on 28-of-36 field goals, with only 15 turnovers. It was a well-played game offensively for both squads - Minnesota assisted on 27-of-33 field goals and shot 45 percent - but Purdue, perhaps somewhat surprisingly, had an edge in the paint. Whitney Bays and Liza Clemons combined for 44 points.
Gopher center Amanda Zahui B. had 26 points on 11-of-11 shooting with 11 rebounds.
But that had been Purdue's last victory before Wednesday.
"We want this tournament more than anything," April Wilson said. "To finally get that win, it's like a weight off our shoulders. We can play defense, we can do all the right things, execute. It showed (Wednesday night)."
• Purdue is now 4-0 in Sears Centre Arena, after winning the title here two seasons ago.
The sophomore wing used it to try to keep warm, after her foot got caught under her, straining her already strained hamstring, in the first half of Purdue's 58-56 win over Wisconsin in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament.
"That bike was already there, luckily," Perry said in the locker room after the win. "The thing with the hamstring is that you have to keep them warm. It's one of those things, with certain movements it doesn't extend right."
Perry has tried to battle through the pain lately. After coming back in early February from a month-long absence following a high ankle sprain, she's dealt with hamstring and Achilles tightness, perhaps a result of the conditioning she had lost. It caused her to not be at 100 percent, although she's trying. In the win Wednesday, she had three points and three rebounds in 11 minutes.
"They switch places," Perry said of the injuries. "But I'm supposed to ice as much as I can in the next 24 hours and hope it's all right."
Perry wants to be able to contribute - 14th-seeded Purdue plays sixth seed Minnesota at 9:30 p.m. Thursday in the second round - but knows the injuries might be limiting.
"I've got to do whatever I can to get healthy," she said. "Injuries stink because they prevent you from getting in a rhythm but I'm so proud of everybody on the team. We have Minnesota next and momentum is going our way. We're going to take people by surprise."
• The Boilermakers have beaten the Golden Gophers once this season, when they shot better than 60 percent in the first half to gain a 15-point advantage, then hold on for an overtime victory on Jan. 22.
It might take a similar effort.
In that game, Purdue shot 51.4 percent, while assisting on 28-of-36 field goals, with only 15 turnovers. It was a well-played game offensively for both squads - Minnesota assisted on 27-of-33 field goals and shot 45 percent - but Purdue, perhaps somewhat surprisingly, had an edge in the paint. Whitney Bays and Liza Clemons combined for 44 points.
Gopher center Amanda Zahui B. had 26 points on 11-of-11 shooting with 11 rebounds.
But that had been Purdue's last victory before Wednesday.
"We want this tournament more than anything," April Wilson said. "To finally get that win, it's like a weight off our shoulders. We can play defense, we can do all the right things, execute. It showed (Wednesday night)."
• Purdue is now 4-0 in Sears Centre Arena, after winning the title here two seasons ago.
