Indiana senior Mackenzie Holmes breaks scoring record at Purdue’s expense

BLOOMINGTON — The latest loss for Purdue women’s basketball against Indiana might sting awhile for Purdue coach Katie Gearlds.

Freshman Mary Ashley Stevenson made her first four shots and Purdue trailed 41-30 at halftime.

But then the onslaught came and her team’s defense faded on a historic afternoon for Indiana at Purdue’s expense.

Senior Mackenzie Holmes scored 17 points to become Indiana’s career leading scorer and her team daggered 13 3-pointers and Purdue fell on the road 95-62.

The points scored by Indiana (20-3, 11-2) are the second most scored in the rivalry’s history. Purdue scored 97 points against Indiana in 1999.

Purdue has lost 10 games straight to the Hoosiers, its last win coming in 2019. The Boilermakers haven’t won a game in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall since 2012.

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Purdue (10-13, 3-9) allowed Indiana, the 16th highest scoring offense in the country, to shoot 59% from the floor including 20 of 29 in the second half.

Indiana leads the country in field goal percentage and ranks fifth in 3-point percentage.

Senior guard Chloe Moore-McNeil scored 22 points and senior Sara Scalia added 19 points.

Scalia hit a step back 3-pointer in the third quarter but the rest were mostly open looks.

“Our inability to get stops doesn’t allow us to push in transition where Rashunda (Jones) excels and we couldn’t get everyone on the same page for whatever reason,” Gearlds said. “We have to find a way to win on the road.”

More: Did Purdue women’s basketball unlock its hidden potential against Indiana?

Stevenson led Purdue with 16 points after having surgery to repair a broken nose on Tuesday.

“We knew coming in they were a very good team and they are a team that can hit 3-pointers pretty much unlike any team we’ve ever seen,” Stevenson said. “I think Caitlyn (Harper) did a really good job on Holmes but I think we weren’t there to have her back as far as the trapping.”

“My biggest takeaway was this is a very great environment to play in and I have three more times to play at this location. I want to come in here and get a win.”

Senior Caitlyn Harper scored 13 points and freshman Sophie Swanson added 11 points off the bench for Purdue.

Swanson looked more explosive offensively and is less then a year removed from a torn ACL.

“I still have some road blocks in my mind and it’s definitely tricky with that, with the confidence aspect now compared to pre injury,” Swanson. “I’m just kind of taking the little victories.”

Purdue turned the ball over 10 times in the first half while the program lacked the intensity it showed in all 40 minutes in its first meeting, a 74-68 loss at Mackey Arena on Jan. 21.

“It’s 94 feet, the basket is 10 feet high and the free throw line is 15 feet,” Gearlds said. “It doesn’t matter who you are or who you’re playing. The basketball is the same no matter where you’re at.”