Purdue's hit the midway point of the Big Ten season, with only a 3-6 conference record.
Yet, the Boilermakers might feel a little bit better than that. Since a disappointing home loss to Wisconsin in the middle of the month, Purdue's been better, but not enough to consistently pick up wins. An overtime win at ranked Minnesota was followed by an overtime loss to unranked Ohio State.
Purdue (10-10 overall, 3-6 in the Big Ten) next hosts No. 22 Rutgers (14-5, 5-3) at 7 p.m. Thursday in Mackey Arena.
"I think the team is in really solid shape," Coach Sharon Versyp said. "We have nine games left, we're gradually getting healthier, so I think that will give us a little punch here in February, seven or eight games. But we're playing better; the effort, the intensity, the passion, the execution, it's all there. When you're in games, you're going to win some, you're going to lose some, but we're getting execution, we're getting the shots that we need. From the Wisconsin game to now, it's night and day. And the growth from Thanksgiving to now is night and day.
"There's not an easy game in the Big Ten. We had a rough patch in the beginning, with playing really, really tough opponents and we continue to do that. I'm pleased with where we're at and anxious to get going forward."
If Purdue is to make the postseason, it'll need to get going now. The Boilermakers have had a tough schedule, one that ranks second in the country, but have let potential - maybe likely - wins turn to loses. Purdue has three times been defeated in overtime at home, part of a season in which it has lost five games in Mackey.
And it dropped a winnable game at Dayton and the lackluster performance vs. an under-.500 Badger team.
"We just understand that we need to do better," senior captain Liza Clemons said. "We have to work harder, push through, no matter what."
The Scarlet Knights will present another good test.
"I don't (look at it as we're) losing," Versyp said. "I think we're getting better and that's what's important. And it's what you're doing at the end of the season. You can play great at the beginning of the season, then tail off and it hurts you. I'm real positive with the group. Our strength of schedule is No. 2 in the country. You can rest better at night knowing the strength of schedule is 2 in the country and not 100. Having tough loses, you look at things differently."
• Bridget Perry is starting to get more involved in practices, as the sophomore wing tries to return from a high ankle sprain that's sidelined her the last three weeks.
But Purdue's not yet set a target date for her return.
"It's a little too soon to that," Perry said. "It just depends on what I can do in practice, especially with change of direction and jumping, stuff like that. That's kind of going to be the indicator."
Perry was averaging 9.3 points and four rebounds per game before she was hurt vs. Maryland. And in the eight games previous to the injury, she was averaging 10.6 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.
"I felt like my energy was good," she said. "I love playing with my teammates, we'd go to war together for games. Everyone was just stepping up and expanding their games as a whole throughout the team. When that happens, it's a minor setback but we still have a long season to go."
Perry's never before experienced anything more than a low ankle sprain, ones that have kept her out a week or so, during her high school career. So this is new. But she's trying to maintain a healthy outlook.
"I'm just out for a small period of time, in perspective to everything else," she said, "so I took that time to help my teammates from the sideline perspective and take more of a vocal role and I learned a lot from that."
• Hall of Fame coach C. Vivian Stringer brings her Scarlet Knights to Mackey, sporting a similar style or her crews over the last 30-plus years.
They're defensive minded, with opponents hitting only 36.4 percent of their shots (second in the Big Ten) and giving up only 60.8 points per game (fourth).
"They're very, very physical," Versyp said. "Probably the most physical team offensively and defensively in the Big Ten. Extremely athletic and love to run, like Maryland. They really want to capitalize on transition and turnovers."
But this Rutgers' group is a bit better offensively, running more frequently, rather than sitting in a half-court offense.
"In the past, the offense wasn't as it is now. It can be extremely powerful. Tyler Scaife, when (Stringer) recruited her, it kind of changed the tone of how Vivian has played in the past. She loves the push the ball up-tempo now, whereas you didn't that before when we played them. That wasn't their philosophy."
Yet, the Boilermakers might feel a little bit better than that. Since a disappointing home loss to Wisconsin in the middle of the month, Purdue's been better, but not enough to consistently pick up wins. An overtime win at ranked Minnesota was followed by an overtime loss to unranked Ohio State.
Purdue (10-10 overall, 3-6 in the Big Ten) next hosts No. 22 Rutgers (14-5, 5-3) at 7 p.m. Thursday in Mackey Arena.
"I think the team is in really solid shape," Coach Sharon Versyp said. "We have nine games left, we're gradually getting healthier, so I think that will give us a little punch here in February, seven or eight games. But we're playing better; the effort, the intensity, the passion, the execution, it's all there. When you're in games, you're going to win some, you're going to lose some, but we're getting execution, we're getting the shots that we need. From the Wisconsin game to now, it's night and day. And the growth from Thanksgiving to now is night and day.
"There's not an easy game in the Big Ten. We had a rough patch in the beginning, with playing really, really tough opponents and we continue to do that. I'm pleased with where we're at and anxious to get going forward."
If Purdue is to make the postseason, it'll need to get going now. The Boilermakers have had a tough schedule, one that ranks second in the country, but have let potential - maybe likely - wins turn to loses. Purdue has three times been defeated in overtime at home, part of a season in which it has lost five games in Mackey.
And it dropped a winnable game at Dayton and the lackluster performance vs. an under-.500 Badger team.
"We just understand that we need to do better," senior captain Liza Clemons said. "We have to work harder, push through, no matter what."
The Scarlet Knights will present another good test.
"I don't (look at it as we're) losing," Versyp said. "I think we're getting better and that's what's important. And it's what you're doing at the end of the season. You can play great at the beginning of the season, then tail off and it hurts you. I'm real positive with the group. Our strength of schedule is No. 2 in the country. You can rest better at night knowing the strength of schedule is 2 in the country and not 100. Having tough loses, you look at things differently."
• Bridget Perry is starting to get more involved in practices, as the sophomore wing tries to return from a high ankle sprain that's sidelined her the last three weeks.
But Purdue's not yet set a target date for her return.
"It's a little too soon to that," Perry said. "It just depends on what I can do in practice, especially with change of direction and jumping, stuff like that. That's kind of going to be the indicator."
Perry was averaging 9.3 points and four rebounds per game before she was hurt vs. Maryland. And in the eight games previous to the injury, she was averaging 10.6 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.
"I felt like my energy was good," she said. "I love playing with my teammates, we'd go to war together for games. Everyone was just stepping up and expanding their games as a whole throughout the team. When that happens, it's a minor setback but we still have a long season to go."
Perry's never before experienced anything more than a low ankle sprain, ones that have kept her out a week or so, during her high school career. So this is new. But she's trying to maintain a healthy outlook.
"I'm just out for a small period of time, in perspective to everything else," she said, "so I took that time to help my teammates from the sideline perspective and take more of a vocal role and I learned a lot from that."
• Hall of Fame coach C. Vivian Stringer brings her Scarlet Knights to Mackey, sporting a similar style or her crews over the last 30-plus years.
They're defensive minded, with opponents hitting only 36.4 percent of their shots (second in the Big Ten) and giving up only 60.8 points per game (fourth).
"They're very, very physical," Versyp said. "Probably the most physical team offensively and defensively in the Big Ten. Extremely athletic and love to run, like Maryland. They really want to capitalize on transition and turnovers."
But this Rutgers' group is a bit better offensively, running more frequently, rather than sitting in a half-court offense.
"In the past, the offense wasn't as it is now. It can be extremely powerful. Tyler Scaife, when (Stringer) recruited her, it kind of changed the tone of how Vivian has played in the past. She loves the push the ball up-tempo now, whereas you didn't that before when we played them. That wasn't their philosophy."
