The Purdue University Boilermakers reeled off a 21-4 run in the third quarter to turn a nine-point deficit into a 50-42 lead and went on to post a 60-51 victory over the cold-shooting University of Maine Black Bears at the Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Indiana, Wednesday night.
Purdue improved to 5-3 including a 5-1 home record while the Black Bears fell to 3-6.
Senior forward Reagan Bass paced the Boilermakers with a game-high 20 points including an 8-or-13 shooting performance from the floor.
Bass scored nine of her points during that decisive 21-4 run including seven straight to tie the game 38-38.
She also finished with six rebounds and two steals.
UMaine went 3-for-14 from the floor in the third period after going 10-for-14 and scoring 27 points in the second quarter.
Purdue shot 9-for-18 in the third period.
Purdue outscored UMaine 31-16 in the second half as the Black Bears missed their final 13 3-point attempts and went 1-for-14 from long distance over the final 20 minutes. They made just six of their 25 field-goal tries in the second half.
Graduate student guard Destini Lombard contributed 12 points, 13 rebounds and three steals for Purdue and graduate student guard Ella Collier wound up with 11 points, four rebounds, two assists, two blocked shots and two steals.
Collier had five points in the third-quarter flurry.
Sophomore forward Caroline Dotsey scored in double figures for the third straight game for UMaine as she had 13 points and six rebounds.
Junior guard Asta Blauenfeldt and graduate student guard-forward Caroline Bornemann also had 13 points apiece. Blauenfeldt also had three rebounds and two assists and Bornemann had three rebounds and two steals.
Purdue outscored UMaine in the paint 36-22 and had 21 points off turnovers compared to UMaine’s 13.
UMaine will travel to Philadelphia on Monday for a 7 p.m. game against St. Joseph’s while Purdue will entertain No. 7 Maryland on Saturday at 2.
