Five points by Kaliyah Mitchell helped spark an 11-0 run to push the 11th lady Lady Lions out of the gates early, as Penn State turned a 4-4 tie into a 15-4 lead, and 15-6 advantage at the end of the first over the sixth-seeded Boilermakers.
While the first quarter saw a big run for the Lady Lions, the second quarter was Purdue returning the favor. The Boilermakers used a 9-0 run over a three-minute span to cut a 19-10 Penn State lead to a tie game with 3:05 to go in the half.
The two teams traded buckets the rest of the half, and a late jumper by Teniya Page kept the game within one possession, as Purdue took a 28-25 lead heading into the break.