What to know about Purdue before Syracuse’s final ACC/Big Ten challenge

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Syracuse already had some experience against a Big Ten opponent this season, and it didn’t end well. The Orange held a 21-point lead two minutes into the third quarter, but still lost by double digits after Penn State outscored them 37-14 in the fourth quarter. Following the 82-69 loss to the Nittany Lions, SU rebounded with a home win over Buckell.

The Orange will now travel to Purdue to take part in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. This matchup against the Boilermakers will be the last time Syracuse will take part in the event after yesterday’s announcement of an ACC-SEC Challenge beginning in 2023.

Before the Orange (5-1, 0-0 Atlantic Coast) play in their final ACC-Big Ten Challenge game, here’s everything you need to know about the Boilermakers (6-1, 0-0 Big Ten).

All-time series:

Wednesday’s game will be the first meeting between the two teams.

The Boilermakers report:

Purdue comes into its matchup with Syracuse as one of the stronger shooting teams in the Big Ten. Per Her Hoop Stats, the Boilermakers have the second-highest effective field-goal percentage (57.3%), which is a shooting percentage that accounts for the value of 3-point attempts. Their top-three scorers — Lasha Petree, Caitlyn Harper and Abbey Ellis — all shoot above 50% from the field. That trio averages over double-digit points.

“They’re fast,” SU head coach Felisha Legette-Jack said. “I think the NCAA needs to check their shoes, because I think they got skates inside them sneakers. They’re coming, and they’re not going to stop.”

Purdue has also benefited from 5-foot-11 guard Jeanae Terry becoming a solid rebounding presence. Even though there are eight players taller than Terry on the roster, she still has a team-best 65 boards. The next closest player, Madison Layden, has 31.

But the lack of a taller forward collecting rebounds for Purdue puts it at ninth in the Big Ten in rebounding percentage. As a result, the Boilermakers are in the middle of the pack when it comes to scoring defense. They are currently eighth in points allowed per game.

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How Syracuse beats Purdue:

With a strong shooting team like Purdue, SU will need to shoot like it did during the first quarter of Penn State and the entirety of the Binghamton game. Legette-Jack believes Syracuse can play in late March, near the postseason. But to achieve that, it will need to outshoot a team like Purdue.

This can be done by creating screens for Dyaisha Fair, who has proven that she’ll be one of the best scorers in the ACC. Along with Fair, creating open looks for shooters like Georgia Woolley and Asia Strong in the corners and Teisha Hyman at the wings will be essential.

Under the hoop, Strong and Dariauna Lewis will have to establish a presence. None of the Purdue players of similar height have made themselves known. The only solid rebounder has been Terry. Strong and Lewis simply need to use their height to their advantage. If they can’t, the Orange could lose their second-straight road loss to a Big Ten opponent.

Stat to know: 51.5%

While the Boilermakers are one of the stronger shooting teams in their conference, they take less 2-pointers than any other Big Ten team. Purdue has 51.5% of its points scored by 2-point field goals, the lowest mark in the conference, putting it at 124th in the country according to Her Hoops Stats.

Instead, Purdue leans on its 3-point shooting more, with 31% of its points coming from shots behind the arc. Relative to the rest of the Big Ten, the Boilermakers are successful with the 3-ball, having the fifth-best 3-point percentage in the conference.

Player to watch: Lasha Petree, guard, No. 11

In the short season, Petree already has three 20-plus point performances coming against Murray State, Harvard and Oklahoma State. Against another ACC team in Florida State, Petree scored 15 points. While the 6-foot guard may not shoot as high a volume as Fair, Petree is efficient, making 51.5% of her shots.

Purdue is Petree’s third school in her collegiate career after playing three seasons with Bradley, then last year with Rutgers. Heading into this season, she had scored 1,655 points in career, averaging 13.9 points per game.