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Purdue women coast to 82-47 season opening win

It’s been about a year-and-a-half since Drey Mingo last played in a game that counted.

But, the Purdue forward picked up right where she left off.

Mingo scored 15-points and grabbed six-rebounds to lead the Boilers to an 82-47 win over USC Upstate in the regular season opener.

“It’s an amazing feeling to be back on the floor,” said the sixth-year senior, “really have enjoyed being back and enjoying the game I love with my teammates.”

Mingo sat out all of last year with a torn ACL in her right knee.  She also missed four games the previous season due to a life threatening case of meningitis.

Against the Spartans, Purdue was slow out of the gate.  The Boilers had five turnovers before they scored their first basket.  But, Mingo’s offensive rebounding and post scoring got Sharon Versyp’s team on track.

“We were just really anxious.  We were forcing the ball,” said Purdue’s head coach.

“Probably around that eight, nine minute mark I made some substitutions where players  are used to playing with each other and they were able to do some good things and they shared the ball. We got it inside quite a bit to Drey.  And when you score, your defense always picks up.”

Once, the Boilers train got rolling, it went full steam ahead.

Purdue shot 47-percent from the floor and held USC Upstate to just 42-percent shooting while forcing 24 turnovers.

The win was a complete team effort; Versyp went deep into her bench early and often.  Twelve Boilers saw action and eleven played ten minutes or more.  Junior KK Houser poured in 17 and dished out five assists and her backcourt mate and fellow junior Courtney Moses added 12.

“Every minute we are on the floor it’s a new group we are playing with and we are still getting used to each other, but every minute we are getting used to playing with each other, so it’s going to be something that we are working on every single day in practice,” said Moses.

“As the game went on, I feel like we’re getting used to each other more and more.”

Once Purdue took the lead midway through the first half, the game was never really in doubt.  But, the play of the Boilers freshmen broke the game wide open during a stretch midway through the second half.

Hayden Hamby, April Wilson, and Taylor Manuel combined for eleven straight points to push Purdue’s lead from 47-30 to 58-32.

“It was nice to see,” said Versyp.  “We just know how important it is for our freshman (as well as sophomore’s) Camille (Redmon) and Liza (Clemons) to blend in exceptionally well and help us.  So we have to give them a lot of opportunities.”

With the win, Purdue extended its school record with 11 straight victories in season openers and the Boilers now also have won 22 consecutive home openers.  Sharon Versyp is a perfect 7-0 in season openers as the Boilermakers head coach.

Purdue has a week off before traveling to SIU Edwardsville, Saturday, at 8 p.m.