Purdue Sports Update Feb. 10

WBB Rolls to Win at Rutgers

The Purdue women’s basketball team extended its road winning streak to four games with a 68-54 win at Rutgers on Thursday night at Jersey Mike’s Arena. The Boilermaker have won four of their last five games to improve to 16-7 on the year and 7-6 in the Big Ten.

Purdue’s four-game winning streak on the road is its longest since 2012-13 and its longest in the Big Ten since 2011-12.

The Boilermakers shot 46.7% from the field and connected on 10 3-pointers for the fifth time this season. The defense held the Scarlet Knights (10-15, 4-9) to 35% shooting and just 4-of-14 from 3-point range. Purdue set a new season high with seven blocks as Madison Layden and Caitlyn Harper turned away a pair of shots.

A trio Boilermakers finished in double figures, led by Lasha Petree’s 17 points. The fifth-year senior was 7-of-16 from the field with a trio of 3-pointers to top all scorers. Rickie Woltman went 5-of-6 on the night to tally 10 points.

Cassidy Hardin finished with 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting from behind the arc. Hardin became the fifth Boilermaker in program history to make 200 3-pointers in a career, joining Katie Gearlds, Courtney Moses, Brittany Rayburn and Karissa McLaughlin.The fifth-year senior has 201 made 3-pointers for her career.

Jeanae Terry and Abbey Ellis evenly split 10 assists, as Purdue dished out 20 helpers on 28 made field goals.

Purdue won the rebounding battle 40-31 and flipped 10 offensive rebounds in to 12 points. The Boilermakers also scored 13 points off 14 Rutgers giveaways.

Ellis and Petree connected on a pair of early triples, as Purdue started the game on an 18-3 run, including 12 straight points. Six different Boilermakers scored in the opening frame while shooting 50% from the field. Rutgers went 2-for-10 and scored seven points, the fewest allowed in an opening period by Purdue this season.

Purdue’s bench helped extend the lead scoring 13 of the 18 points in the second quarter. Jayla Smith tallied five, while Ava Learn knocked down a pair of mid-range jumpers. The Boilermakers forced 10 first-half turnovers and held the Scarlet Knights to 30.8% shooting in the first half to take a 36-23 lead into the break.

The momentum kept rolling to start the third, as Caitlyn Harper and Petree hit from the outside to start an 11-2 run that extended the lead to 22 points with 5:59 remaining in the period. Rutgers closed the third with nine straight points as Purdue carried a 51-40 lead into the final period.

After Rutgers chipped the deficit down to nine early in the fourth, Purdue punched back with an 11-2 run that included a pair of triples from Hardin and one from Petree. The Boilermakers went 7-of-12 in the final period and committed just a pair of turnovers to pull away to the win.

NOTES
• The all-time series between Purdue and Rutgers is now tied at 8-8, with Purdue winning the last three matchups.
• The Boilermakers are 4-1 when making 10 or more 3-pointers in a game.
• Jeanae Terry finished with eight rebound and five assists for her 15th game this year with at least five rebounds and assists.
• Hardin has made a 3-pointer in 94 of her 135 games played at Purdue.
• Petree finished in double figures for the 17th time this season.
• The Boilermakers held an opponent under 40% shooting for the 12th time this year.  

UP NEXT
Purdue will return to Mackey Arena on Sunday afternoon for a 2 p.m. tip against Northwestern. The game will be streamed on B1G+.

WBB Falls to #4 Indiana in Sold-Out Mackey

A tough third quarter proved too much for the Purdue women’s basketball team to overcome in a 69-46 loss to No. 4 Indiana. Playing their third straight ranked opponent, the Boilermakers fell to 15-7 overall and 6-6 in the Big Ten.

The loss snapped a three-game winning streak that including back-to-back wins over ranked opponents, including the program’s first ever top-five victory on the road at No. 2 Ohio State last Sunday. 

Purdue set a new program record for attendance at Mackey Arena with 14,876 fans. It marked the third sellout in program history and the first since 2000. The 14,876 is the third largest crowd in the nation this season and the 16th largest in Big Ten women’s basketball history.

The Boilermakers were led offensively by Lasha Petree’s 13 points. Abbey Ellis finished in double figures for the fifth time in the last six games with 10 points. Purdue could not find its rhythm on the offensive end shooting a season-low 32.8% overall and making three of its 16 3-point attempts.

Purdue forced the Indiana (22-1, 12-1) into 15 turnovers but only managed six points on the giveaways. The Hoosiers converted 18 Boilermaker turnovers into 18 points.

Indiana shot 40% from the field and hit nine 3-pointers. The Hoosiers put four players in double figures, led by Sydney Parris and Mackenzie Holmes with 15 each.

The Boilermakers shook off a pair of early turnovers and starting 0-for-4 from the field in the first quarter. Petree and Caitlyn Harper started a five-point run to counter a 7-0 run by the Hoosiers. Harper cut the deficit to 14-10 with a layup through contact before the end of the quarter.

Purdue opened the second on a 7-0 run with five points from Ellis to go with a Cassidy Hardin layup, which put the hosts up 17-14. Indiana retook the lead at 29-23 with a 12-4 run. The Boilermakers went 6-of-11 from the field with Ellis picking up seven points in the frame.

The Boilermakers could not find their rhythm in the third. Despite open looks, Purdue went 1-of-17 from the field and did not attempt a free throw. Indiana pounced on the offensive struggles to outscore Purdue 19-2.

The hosts continued to fight into the fourth quarter. Petree tallied nine of her points in the final frame, with Jayla Smith scoring all five of her points. Purdue went 8-of-18 from the field and committed just one turnover in the fourth, but the deficit proved too much to overcome.

Karlaftis carries on Purdue’s strong Super Bowl Tradition

 Not only does Purdue Football have a rich history in the NFL, but also in the league’s biggest game. That tradition continues on Sunday (Feb. 12) as George Karlaftis and the Kansas City Chiefs face the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII (6:30 p.m. ET on FOX).

Karlaftis becomes the 43rd Boilermaker to play in the Super Bowl, bringing the total number of appearances by Purdue Football alumni to 72. Matt Light has made the most Super Bowls by a Boilermaker, reaching the game five times with the New England Patriots. Including Sunday night’s matchup, at least one Purdue Boilermaker has participated in 23 of the last 24 Super Bowls.  

“It’s a blessing to be in this position with the opportunity to become a Super Bowl champion,” said Karlaftis.

Keena Turner, a fellow member of the Den of Defensive Ends alongside Karlaftis, helped the San Francisco 49ers win four Super Bowls to set the standard for Pro Boilers. A Boilermaker has been on the Super Bowl-winning team 16 of the past 23 years, including Brycen Hopkins contributing to the Los Angeles Rams’ victory last season.

Rod Woodson is one of only 11 players in NFL history to play in three Super Bowls with three teams – Pittsburgh Steelers (XXX), Baltimore Ravens (XXXV) and Oakland Raiders (XXXVII). Ricardo Allen (Atlanta Falcons, Cincinnati Bengals) and Niko Koutouvides (Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots) have made Super Bowls with two different teams.

Unless he gets a scoop-and-score like he did for the Boilermakers in 2021 against Wisconsin or hauls in a pick-six, Karlaftis is unlikely to find the end zone in the Super Bowl. Mike Alstott scored the first Super Bowl touchdown by a Purdue alum in Super Bowl XXXVII, while three former Boilermaker quarterbacks have thrown touchdown passes in the Super Bowl – Len Dawson in Super Bowl I and IV, Bob Griese in Super Bowl VII and Drew Brees in Super Bowl XLIV.

Karlaftis has had a strong rookie season after the Chiefs selected the Boilermaker as the 30th overall pick in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He ranks third among rookies in sacks with 6.0 on the year, leading all AFC rookies and trailing only Aidan Hutchinson (9.5) and James Houston (8.0) of the Detroit Lions throughout the league. One of those sacks occurred in the AFC Championship game. His sack tally is second most on the Chiefs behind First Team All-Pro Chris Jones. Karlaftis has earned recognition of his own as the Professional Football Writers of America (PFWA) named him to the all-rookie team in January.

Playing in 27 games over his Purdue career, Karlaftis earned All-Big Ten honors following all three seasons as a Boilermaker. He was a second team honoree as a freshman and sophomore before becoming a consensus first team selection during his junior campaign. During the 2021 season, his final one wearing the Old Gold and Black, the hometown standout earned First Team All-America accolades from the AFCA to go along with second team honors from a variety of outlets.

Wrestling Preps for Final Weekend of Dual Season

Purdue wrestling closes in on the final weekend of the dual season with a road test at Maryland on Friday before returning home to face No. 13 Northwestern Sunday for senior day. 

The Boilermakers’ Friday night faceoff with Terrapins will start at 7:00 p.m. ET in College Park and will be streamed on B1G+. Sunday’s match against the Wildcats will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network, with first whistle slated for noon ET. 

PURDUE POINTS

• Matt Ramos and Kendall Coleman sit in a tie for the most wins (24) and matches wrestled (26) of anyone ranked inside the top-15 at any weight.
• Purdue has wrestled 10 freshman in duals this season, tied for the most in the Big Ten (Ohio State). 
• Matt Ramos and Kendall Coleman both hold an 88.9% win rate on the year, which would put them in a tie for 7th in the Purdue single-season record book. 
• Ramos won his fifth straight Big Ten match after a 5-3 decision over Nebraska’s Jacob Van Dee. He has won seven of his last eight B1G dual bouts, having only lost to No. 1 Spencer Lee in that stretch. 
• Boilermakers are outscoring opponents by 223 points in the first period this season, compared to +14 and +65 margins in P2 and P3. 
• Redshirt-freshman Jaden Reynolds picked up his first  career dual win with a dramatic 6-4 decision in sudden victory against Nebraska’s Blake Cushing. 
• Hayden Copass has come on strong in conference action, going 3-2 against B1G opposition capped off by an 8-2 decision over Cale Davidson  on Sunday for his largest margin of victory this season. 
• Purdue head coach Tony Ersland‘s 74 dual wins is tied for the third most in program history with Scott Hinkel (2008-14). Ersland sits in third in Big Ten wins, home wins and road wins. 

HONORING THE SENIORS

Kendall Coleman, Brennan Doyle, Parker Filius, Kooper Loehr and Thomas Penola will all be honored on Sunday following the dual with Northwestern for their contributions to the Purdue wrestilng program on and off the mat. The five combined for 365 matches wrestled, 232 wins, nine NCAA qualifications, six NWCA Scholar All-American awards and seven Academic All-Big Ten honors. 

Fans, please plan on staying after the match on Sunday for a brief ceremony to honor these men and their accomplishments for Purdue. 
LAST TIME OUT

Purdue Wrestling got decision wins at four different weights, but took a 22-12 loss at the hands of No. 10 Nebraska last Saturday night in Holloway Gymnasium. 

The Boilermakers earned two sets of back-to-back wins against the Cornhuskers, as Hayden Copass and No. 3 Matt Ramos gave Purdue points on either side of the intermission before Jaden Reynolds and No. 6 Kendall Coleman helped head coach Tony Ersland‘s team end on a high note with victories in the final two matches of the evening. 

The most exciting match of the dual came in Jaden Reynolds’ 6-4 win in sudden victory over Blake Cushing. Reynolds won his first career dual match in sudden victory, wrestling through a bad position to get the takedown. 

Softball to Open Season at JoAnne Graf Classic

The Purdue softball squad is set to open the season in Tallahassee, Florida at the JoAnne Graf Classic, hosted by Florida State on Friday.

The team, led by head coach Boo De Oliveira in her seventh season, will take on Longwood, Lipscomb and host No. 5-ranked Florida State over a total of five games to open the 2023 campaign.

Due to impending weather, game times and opponents have shifted for Friday’s schedule and is reflected above. Purdue will now be playing Longwood first at 9 a.m. ET, followed by Lipscomb at 11:15 a.m. ET.

SCHEDULE NOTES
• Purdue will spend the first 30 games and eight straight weekends on the road to open the season.
• The Boilermakers are slated to play a total of 12 games this season against opponents ranked or receiving votes on the USA Today/NFCA preseason poll. Of the 12 games, nine will be true road games, while one will be a neutral site.
• During non-conference play, Purdue will play in four states: Florida, North Carolina, California and Ole Miss.
• Purdue will attend the tournaments of Florida State, UCF, Cal State Fullerton and Ole Miss, each of which played in the NCAA College World Series Regionals.
• Overall, Purdue will play two NCAA Super Regional teams in UCF and Ole Miss.

THE BOILERMAKER ROSTER AT A GLANCE
• Class Breakdown: 28 total student-athletes made up of 11 freshmen, seven sophomores, three juniors, five seniors and two fifth-years.
• Purdue’s roster includes 16 total newcomers, made up of 11 freshmen and five transfers.
• Freshmen Include: Sage Scarmardo, Summer Scarmardo, Khloe Banks, Alivia Meeks, Rita Nuss, Julianna Verni, Emma Bailey, Jordyn Ramos, Bella Bacon, Caitlyn Boteler and Olivia Cainey.
• Transfers include: sophomore Madi Elish (previous: Arizona), junior Hailey Hayes (previous: Boise State), senior Becca Edwards (previous: Green Bay), redshirt senior Kate Claypool (previous: Iowa), and fifth-year Anna Lonchar (previous: UMBC).
• There are two fifth-year players on the team: Alex Echazarreta and Anna Lonchar.
• Purdue has siblings on the team in identical twins Sage and Summer Scarmardo.

Spring Soccer Schedule Announced

 The 2023 Purdue soccer spring exhibition schedule has been announced, which features five games, all on campus in West Lafayette, Indiana.
 
Four home games, one in March and three in April, will be played at Folk Field. Admission will be free for all fans to those contests. Three of the Boilermakers’ five spring matches are against in-state foes.
 
The spring slate begins against Illinois State on Saturday, February 18, at 2 p.m. ET. The game will be played at the Mollenkopf Athletic Center and will be closed to the general public.
 
The first game at Folk Field is set for Saturday, March 25, as Ball State comes to West Lafayette. Kickoff is at 1 p.m.
 
April begins with two matches in seven days, starting with Notre Dame on Sunday, April 2, at 3 p.m. The week concludes against UIC on Saturday, April 8, at noon.
 
The spring wraps up on Saturday, April 22, against Valparaiso at 2 p.m.

Muhammad Selected to Represent Big Ten at NCAA Leadership Forum

Purdue swimmer Idris Muhammad has been selected as the Big Ten Conference’s male representative to attend the annual NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum, which is set for April 13-16 in Baltimore.

Muhammad is a sophomore from Atlanta, specializing in the freestyle sprints and backstroke. He is studying mechanical engineering at Purdue.

The 2023 Student-Athlete Leadership Forum is slated to be held at the Baltimore Convention Center and Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor, both located adjacent to Oriole Park at Camden Yards and near many of Downtown Baltimore’s other premier attractions.

“I am really excited for this opportunity; I believe it will be beneficial for both me and my team,” Muhammad said. “I can bring back some valuable lessons on leadership, building relationships and building connections that can help both in and out of the pool. I hope to gain a diverse perspective on leadership and teamwork, which I plan to use if I have a leadership position on the team in the future.”

Muhammad moved into fourth place in Purdue history with a career-best time of 19.50 in the 50-yard freestyle at the Purdue Invitational. He’s also 10th all-time in the 100 backstroke (47.73). As a key contributor to relays the last two seasons, Muhammad has helped the Boilermakers post the top-five times in team history in the 200 and 400 free relays as well as the 200 medley relay this season. The Georgia native has accounted for three impressive 50-yard splits on the 200 free relay at different points of the season – 19.36 at the Indiana Intercollegiates during the home-opening weekend, 19.04 at the Purdue Invite in November, and 19.29 at the Big Ten Triple Duals the final weekend of February.

With a January 2004 birthday, Muhammad will still eligible to race at USA Swimming’s Junior Nationals this past summer. He enjoyed a strong showing while representing Atlanta’s Dynamo Swim Club. He helped Dynamo set age group records in the 4×50 free and 4×50 medley relays while also winning gold in the 4×100 free relay.

The NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum, created in 1997, has served as a life-changing experience for more than 5,000 student-athletes who have grown personally and professionally as a result of their attendance. Student-athletes selected to attend the forum return to campus with invaluable leadership skills, a refined understanding of the relationship among personal values, core beliefs and behavioral styles, and the support of a close personal network of like-minded peers to provide continued connection and dialogue after the program concludes. This best-in-class programming experience serves as a transformational opportunity for student-athletes and administrators to build a leadership toolkit and develop vital self-awareness that allows them to realize their potential.

“Purdue Athletics nominated Idris for this prestigious opportunity because of his unique leadership skills coupled with his desire to impact his team and the overall Purdue Community,” said Paul Leaf, Purdue’s assistant director of student-athlete development. “We are excited to watch him grow through this Leadership Forum with the NCAA.”

“Swimming is often viewed as a very individual sport, but if you look at the NCAA’s top swim teams, you will see the copious amounts of camaraderie, respect and team chemistry they have – all playing a large role in their success,” Muhammad wrote in his statement of interest about the forum. “Often times, teams are led by an intuitive leader that is all-in and knows how to instill the core values into teammates to help foster success on all levels. I hope to be able to diversify my knowledge and aid our team’s current leaders, because all great leaders have a strong supporting team behind them.” 

Men’s Tennis to Face Drake in First Road Match

The Purdue men’s tennis team will hit the road for the first time as they take on the Drake Bulldogs on Saturday, Feb. 11 at 6 p.m.

The Boilermakers are coming off a 1-5 start to the season. While the wins haven’t piled up, the squad has shown some incredible fight. The Boilers have found their stride in doubles play, winning two of the last three points, and three of the first six.

Both experienced players and new additions have had flashes of excellence throughout the first few matches. Mujtaba Ali-Khan is 4-2 after a weekend where he went 1-1 in his move up to No. 3. The freshman has hit the ground running and has provided a boost to the middle of the Boilermakers lineup. Michal Wozniak has made a splash to start his senior season by opening up with a 4-2 record in singles and 3-2 in doubles. He began his run at No. 2 but after riding a three-match winning streak, he was elevated to No. 1 for the first time in his career. 

The Bulldogs welcome the Boilermakers to Des Moines with a 4-3 record. Purdue will face its first ranked opponent of the season after junior Jeremy Schifris was listed at No. 68 in the first ITA Top 125 Singles Rankings of 2023.

MATCH INFORMATION
Purdue (1-5) at Drake (4-3)
Roger Knapp Tennis Center
Saturday, Feb. 11 | 6 p.m. (ET)

Women’s Tennis Takes Down Tulsa

After being down 2-0, Purdue women’s tennis fought for a comeback and beat Tulsa 4-3 to continue a six match win streak.

The Boilermakers fought through singles to pull off the victory. Sophomore Tara Katarina Milic played the deciding match at No. 4. After losing a tiebreak 7-4 to drop the first set, Milic cleared the second set 6-4. Tulsa’s Myroslava Zelenchuk led the way early in the third set, but Milic fought back to tie the set. The Boilermakers and Hurricanes were tied heading into the 7-point tiebreak. Milic ran away with a 7-1 win to seal the victory for Purdue. 

Freshman Kennedy Gibbs and senior Csilla Fodor also won their matches through tough tiebreaks. 

Fodor fought hard in the first set against Lily Hutchings of Tulsa. She prevailed 6-4, but the second set proved more difficult than the first. Once tied, Fodor was able to establish a strong lead and win the match 7-1.

After trailing in the first set, Gibbs established and held a dominant lead to win the second 6-0. The Hurricane’s Lian Benedejcic established a lead in the third, but Gibbs came back to tie the set and ultimately win 7-3.

Freshman Juana Larranaga was the final addition to the Boilermaker’s win. At No. 6, Larranaga was quick to seal the first set 6-1, but was slowed down in the second set which ended 5-7. The Argentinian put more gas on the breaks in the third to win 6-4 over Tulsa’s Amy Leather.

Gibbs and Larranaga also ended the day with a doubles win. The duo beat the Hurricane’s Leather and Zelenchuk 6-3 to continue an undefeated season.