Purdue committed a season-high 20 turnovers in Saturday’s loss at Northwestern.
That’s a problem, one made more glaring given that many — most even — were unforced. Of the 20, only eight were credited as Wildcat steals in the Boilermakers’ 76-60 loss in Evanston.
The giveaways haven’t been a season-long problem — Purdue is averaging less than 14 per game and is in the middle of the Big Ten (seventh) in assist-to-turnover margin — but they were against NU; and it’s something to watch out for as the Boilermakers (9-6 overall, 0-1 in the Big Ten) welcome in Michigan State (11-3, 1-0) at 6 p.m. Wednesday.
“We haven’t had very many turnovers until that game, so I think that’s where we need to recognize that against better competition, Big Ten competition, we need to focus more on taking care of the ball on everyone’s end,” senior Bridget Perry said. “Be smarter and mentally in tune.”
It was the veterans who had the most trouble, with Perry, Ashley Morrissette and Andreona Keys combining for a dozen of the 20. The Wildcats turned those 20 turnovers into 23 points.
Many were ugly: Purdue had unforced travels, errant passes, a moving screen.
“They just need to settle down and play like they have been, playing like they’re capable,” Coach Sharon Versyp said. “Not get rattled and continue to run the team and show leadership. We can’t have that many turnovers, especially when they’re unforced. I think that kind of just put us back on our heels, something that hasn’t happened, and we didn’t respond really well.
“Northwestern is a great team. They were better than us, no question, but we should have played a lot better and had better organization and better possessions.”
Although Purdue isn’t doing so, fatigue could be blamed. The Boilermakers are playing with a rotation of seven, with center Nora Kiesler added to the list of injured. The sophomore didn’t play at Northwestern, with Versyp saying only that Kiesler is likely out until mid- to late-January.
It leaves Purdue thin inside. And foul trouble killed vs. the Wildcats too, forcing the Boilermakers to use Perry, a wing, at the 5 and Keys at the 4 at one point. The Boilermakers still managed to win on the glass, slightly, but know that will be challenging going forward.
“We’re not very big without Nora,” Perry said. “That’s one thing where we need to buckle down and not only just make contact but move people out of the way. We did get a few over-the-back calls, but that is something we really need to focus on, both in the post and at guard. In the Big Ten, everyone is big, everyone is crashing.”
To compete, the Boilermakers need to stay as fresh as possible for game day. Versyp said the staff met Monday to discuss options, knowing that it needs to push in practice, but that it can’t go too hard.
Purdue has its five starters, plus three scholarship freshmen on the bench, one of whom — Miracle Gray — is playing only sparingly.
“We think we have a good plan, but we have to see if it works,” Versyp said. “We’ve already decreased practice time, because that’s what you do at this point, but the intensity has to be really, really high for an hour.”
• Michigan State will be without coach Suzy Merchant for Wednesday’s game, after she fainted during the fourth quarter of the Spartans’ win over Illinois on Sunday.
The 47-year-old Merchant spent a night in a hospital before being released on Monday. She’s said to be resting well, but didn’t travel with MSU to Purdue. Associate head coach Amaka Agugua will be on the sideline Wednesday for the Spartans, as she was for the final eight minutes on Sunday, when MSU went on a 14-0 run to put away the Illini.
Agugua will still have senior guard Tori Jankoska, one of the Big Ten’s best. Jankoska, the only Spartan who scores in double-figures, is averaging 21.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game.
“I think she’s just worked on her whole package,” Versyp said. “I think she’s one of the most fearless competitors ever to play the game. She’ll get a rebound, get it and go. She can shoot 10 feet behind the three, but where she has really developed is coming off screens, has good body control, and she is making her teammates better. Before, she was just that one-dimensional shooter. She’s their go-to, she has the emotion, carries the team. You’ve got to guard her as soon as she gets out of the locker room.”
