Following Purdue’s second consecutive loss on Wednesday afternoon, a one-pointer to Nebraska, Sharon Versyp wasn’t in a mood to search for excuses.
The Boilermakers have a short bench right now, but the 10th-year coach pointed out that the Cornhuskers didn’t have the luxury of playing with any more players. Nebraska, she said, had a rotation of – essentially – six (with two others combining for nine minutes), while the Boilermakers used seven (with two others combining for 13).
Still, Purdue could benefit greatly from more experienced options, but until Hayden Hamby comes back – she has a foot injury – in early February, it’s hoped, the Boilermakers will have to make due.
“There’s no excuse,” Versyp said. “Because everyone in the country is playing six or seven kids – aside from Maryland – but I’m still hoping we can get Hayden back in the next three weeks, because it will really help us to get another body rotating in who is a senior who wants to be out there. We have to be patient with that.
“The kids we have are very capable. That’s why we started 5-0, mainly without Hayden, but that’s why it’s nice to have collectively your whole team together.”
The Boilermakers (14-4 overall, 5-2 in the Big Ten), who host Iowa at 3 p.m. Sunday, are trying to piece together lineups until then, using guards April Wilson and Ashley Morrissette as much as possible, with only Tiara Murphy available to back them up. In the five games Hamby has been out, Wilson has played all but 12 minutes; Morrissette has played all but 21.
The return of Hamby, who was averaging about 17 minutes per game before her injury, would help give the duo a break.
“As you go in to the Big Ten, you want to have a 9-to-10 (player) rotation because – I’m not going to call it the grind – but it’s the climb,” Versyp said.
“… The timing (for Hamby) will be perfect, where we have that rotation where we can get 10 bodies in. But other people have been able to step up, they’ve grown their games, build more confidence, so I think that also brings great opportunity.”
During this stretch, Purdue has seen a couple step up, including freshman forward Dominique McBryde, who is averaging double-figure scoring in the Big Ten, including her dozen vs. Nebraska. And against the Cornhuskers, the forward was one of the Boilermakers’ go-to players – with Wilson – down the stretch.
And center Bree Horrocks has shown signs of improvement in the Big Ten as well, when she’s averaged about four points and four rebounds while starting five straight games. The pair has helped answer a bit of Purdue’s biggest question, being whether it could hold up on the interior.
“They’re young kids and developing,” Versyp said. “We’re very young down low, with Nora (Kiesler) and Bree and Dom – Bridget (Perry) is playing a position she’s never played and is being very productive – with those three, they’re going to get better.
“People forget that they’re young and haven’t played a Big Ten season yet, those type of things. We’re about development as a team and individually, so it’s great to see that type of growth.”
The senior needed only five to become the 29th player in Purdue history to hit the milestone. She now has 1,019, putting her No. 27.
“It’s a great feeling to be on a list with some of the greats who have come through here,” Wilson said after the loss Wednesday. “But I’m glad that’s behind me. We lost, so my personal accolades don’t really matter right now.”
Wilson, who is averaging 15.7 points, six assists and 4.1 rebounds per game, will soon jump by Sue Bartz and FahKara Malone on the all-time scoring list. At her current pace – and it’s 17.3 per game in the seven Big Ten contests – Wilson could get up to 21st by the end of the regular season, within striking distance of former point guards Erika Valek, KK Houser and Kelly Komara.
But Wilson could also finish as one of only five Boilermakers with at least 1,000 career points, 500 career assists and 200 career steals (Stephanie White, Katie Douglas, Lisa Jahner and Malone).
