Purdue WBB Still Finding Motivation, Inspiration From Each Other During Tough Stretch
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — If human emotion has the capacity to be discouraged and encouraged at the same time, it might define how Purdue coach Katie Gearlds felt on Thursday night following a 74-68 loss to Nebraska — discouraged by the outcome, but encouraged with the fight her team showed.
The Boilermakers had their chances on Thursday night, but 21 turnovers proved to be too much to overcome. Instead of notching its first Big Ten win of the season, Purdue fell to 0-10 in league play.
After the game, Gearlds walked into the media room, placed her hands on both sides of her head, clearly disappointed with Purdue letting a winnable game slip through its fingers. As much as that loss hurt, the fourth-year coach loved what she saw from her team.
"I told them this, and I mean it from the bottom of my heart — what you all saw tonight is what I see every single day in practice ... a team that believes, a team that fights, a team that is doing everything they can to follow the gameplan," Gearlds said.
During this nine-game losing streak, Purdue has suffered from ugly losses. Yet it was Thursday's loss to the Huskers that seemed so emotionally draining. The Boilers played hard for 40 minutes, shot 50% from the floor and knocked down nine-of-20 shots from 3-point range.
It was the best performance from Purdue this month, inspired by a text from Gearlds to her players.
"KG texted us and she was just keeping us encouraged," said sophomore Rashunda Jones. "The message was so inspirational and made us want to go out there and play hard for her, because we got her back."
Gearlds carried those same feelings into the media room after Thursday's game. She didn't get into the specifics regarding the text message she sent to her team in the hours prior to tipoff against Nebraska, but she did share the general sentiment.
"Our purpose, every single day — the season, their life — their purpose is bigger than what we've been going through and it's just a matter of battling adversity. Staring it straight in the eyes, blocking out all the noise, believing in who you are, believing in what we're trying to do.
"Hang on to your purpose, hang on to why you're doing this, play with the most joy and play as hard as you possibly can. Make sure when you lay down tonight, there's not one single regret."
The final score may not have been the desired outcome, but the performance on Thursday was proof that Gearlds continues to find ways to motivate her team when adversity strikes. And it was clear — both in the locker room and in the postgame press conference — that the players are still fighting like hell for their head coach.
Without question, Purdue's schedule lightens up over the next month. With eight games remaining, the Boilermakers still have a chance to break out of this funk and put some tallies in the win column and earn a trip to the Big Ten Tournament in March.
Gearlds is hopeful that Thursday's performance gives her team the confidence it needs for the final month of the season.
"Hopefully it gives us confidence that we can play with the top teams in the Big Ten," she said. "I know we haven't, and I know it's gone not the way anyone in our locker room wants it to go, but just the confidence that we can."
