MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- A sluggish start nearly cost No. 6 Purdue.
|  | | Camille Cooper, center, is boxed out by Drandy Pickens and Kadidja Andersson. |
Camille Cooper scored 17 points and the Boilermakers rebounded
from a shaky start with a 17-0 run late in the first half to beat
Minnesota 86-61 Thursday night.
"You don't want to say `we'll play now,' " said Cooper as the
Boilermakers (18-3, 8-0 Big Ten) won their 10th straight. "You
lose games by being passive. Every opponent in the Big Ten is going
to give you their best game so you have to be on at the start."
The Boilermakers missed their first ten shots, didn't make a
basket until nearly six minutes into the game, and found themselves
in a close game late in the half.
"There was no intensity whatsoever, and that was
unacceptable," Purdue coach Kristy Curry said.
Purdue used a full-court press to force turnovers and take
control of the game.
"The press took the air out of the ball for us, slowed us down,
put us back on our heels," Minnesota coach Cheryl Littlejohn said.
"We had a lot of good looks, but we just couldn't connect."
Purdue forced 22 turnovers and was never seriously threatened in
final 25 minutes.
Erika Valek, Shalicia Hurns and Katie Douglas each scored 12
points for Purdue, which extended its winning streak against
Minnesota to 10 games. The Gophers last beat the Boilermakers,
68-67, in 1995.
Ozlem Piroglu scored 14 points for the Gophers (8-10, 1-6).
Lindsay Whalen, the Big Ten's leading scorer, added 13, five points
below her average.
Minnesota (8-10, 1-6) used its transition game in the first half
to keep the game close. Whalen's breakaway basket with 8:44 left in
the period gave the Gophers a 17-15 lead.
Cooper countered with a pair of free throws that tied the game
and Kelly Komara hit a jumper to put the Boilermakers ahead for
good, 19-17.
Purdue went on a 22-5 run for a 37-22 lead at halftime.
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ALSO SEE
Women's College Basketball Scoreboard
Purdue Clubhouse
Minnesota Clubhouse
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