Headed into a week in which Purdue will play three games, the Boilermakers are trying to keep their legs as fresh as possible.
Not easy, particularly when the rotation is at only seven, with the two reserves — center Nora Kiesler and guard Miracle Gray — each averaging only about nine minutes per game. That means the other 182 minutes have to be manned by the five starters, an average of 36.4.
“Coach does a good job in practice of not trying to run us too much, up and down,” senior Andreona Keys said. “You just have to take care of yourself afterwards, hydrate and nutrition and stuff, and we really have been focusing on that knowing how many people we have.”
Purdue’s rotation is down a player, as Lamina Cooper is out indefinitely will illness, a span that is likely to last at least through this week, said Sharon Versyp. That means the starting wing, Purdue’s best defender who is averaging 10 points per game, will miss Monday’s game vs. Indiana, Thursday’s at Maryland and Sunday’s at Ohio State.
The Boilermakers (16-9 overall, 7-4 in the Big Ten) are 2-2 without Cooper this season, after the sophomore missed a three-game stretch in January then the Minnesota game last Thursday.
“It’s tough right now,” Versyp said, “practicing is tough right now. Trying to have the balance of getting things done, having the game plan, which you put in, but they have to have energy and be really focused. We had to do it for three games before (without Cooper), so now everybody has to be better.
“It’s a mindset right now, more than physical.”
Fatigue might have shown up during the Minnesota game, which Purdue lost 78-74 in Mackey Arena. The Boilermakers were beaten 42-31 on the glass, giving up 18 second-chance points on 20 offensive boards. And although they closed a 16-point deficit down to three twice late, they couldn’t make a defensive stop to give themselves a chance to claw closer.
“We didn’t get to loose balls,” Versyp said. “That could be fatigue, could be, I don’t know. With how limited we are, it could be something.”
Another look
It seems long ago that Purdue was pummeled at Indiana.
The Hoosiers beat up the Boilermakers, forcing Purdue into 16 turnovers and only 34-percent shooting in IU’s 72-54 win. But both teams are significantly changed since then; Purdue has won six of its eight since, while IU, which was then 1-3 in the Big Ten, has climbed back to .500 in the league (6-6, with a 13-12 overall record).
Point guard Karissa McLaughlin struggled against the Hoosiers, going 0-5 from the field with three turnovers, often because IU senior guard Tyra Buss was hounding her all over the court.
“They were really aggressive initially and it kind of got us out of our offense a little bit,” Keys said. “But then they were just attacking us. We couldn’t contain penetration, covering down, and they really got whatever they wanted to. We weren’t taking care of the ball and we weren’t boxing out.”
Last go
Keys is looking forward to likely her last game against the Hoosiers.
It doesn’t seem that long ago that the Georgia native played Purdue’s rival for the first time. Back then, Purdue’s seniors — Liza Clemons and Whitney Bays — gave the rest of the team a little insight as to what to expect.
“The seniors that year were like, ‘We don’t like them’ and other choice words,” Keys said. “But it was pretty much letting me know, we don’t like them and they don’t like us. It’s a mutual feeling between parties.
“It was one of the biggest games of the year for them, so I was like, ‘OK, this is serious.”
Keys is 4-3 against IU in her career.
“It’s your final time playing against your rival school, unless you play them in the big Ten Tournament, so just going out and playing like it’s your last game against them, giving it everything you’ve got,” she said.
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