In what may seem like deja vu, it was not. The Valparaiso Women's Basketball team beat the Purdue Boilermakers on December 6 in West Lafayette, Indiana. Playing for the second time in five days, the women showed no signs of fatigue. The final score was 52-47 in favor of Valpo.
Entering the fourth quarter, the Crusaders had a five point lead. But a bunch of back and forth baskets over the first four minutes allowed the Crusaders to outscore the Boilermakers 10-8. A three-pointer from junior Carrie Weinman with 4:03 to play in the game pushed the Crusader advantage to double digits for the second time after leading 47-37.
What killed the Boilermakers were four missed baskets over the final 44 seconds of the game. The only point came from a free throw.
Senior Grace White came up with key back to back possessions in the final 75 seconds of the game after the Boilermakers had cut the lead to one. That would ultimately secure the win.
It was only the second time the Crusaders have knocked off Purdue, and the first time since dropping the nationally ranked Boilermakers in Valparaiso on December 10, 2008. With the win over Illinois, Valpo has defeated at least two Big Ten teams in the same season for the first time.
The team joins only the 2001-2002 and 2008-2009 squads to knock off multiple power conference teams in the same season. The 2001-2002 squad knocked off Wake Forest of the Atlantic Coast Conference and Big Ten opponent Michigan. The 2008-2009 squad beat Florida State of the Atlantic Coast Conference as well as Purdue from the Big Ten.
Things did not go well for Purdue at all. The Boilermakers shot just 27.3 percent and could not make a single three-point shot.
In the first three games, opponents have made 8 of 59 from the three point line.
Can Valpo keep the momentum going as the season continues? Time will tell.
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