After being absent from the starting lineup for the first time this season, Becca Mills and Annalise Pickrel made their presence felt off the bench for the Spartans against No. 15 Purdue on Sunday.
Sophomore guard Kiana Johnson, fresh off a career-high 22 points Thursday, and sophomore center Jasmine Hines started for the first time this season. It also marked the first start of Hines’ career.
Four straight buckets from Mills, a sophomore forward, sparked a momentum swing midway through the first half to give MSU a six-point lead. Senior guard Jasmine Thomas capped off the run with a jumper to give MSU its biggest lead of the day, 17-9, with 10:42 left.
Pickrel, a junior forward, had five crucial points in the period while Mills had a team-high nine.
The Boilermakers battled down the stretch to close the MSU advantage to two, 30-28, at the intermission.
Support student media! Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.
