WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Katie Curtis had quite the homecoming, even if it wasn't enough to help Colgate pull off the Big Ten upset.
 
Curtis poured in a career-high 22 points Sunday afternoon in Mackey Arena, much to the delight of a large and vocal contingent on hand to support the Central Indiana native. Purdue pulled away in the fourth quarter to claim the 71-51 decision.
 
Curtis finished 9-of-19 from the floor but was 9-of-14 through three quarters when the Boilermakers finally put defensive ace Ashley Morrissette on Curtis in the final period. The senior guard also made four 3-point field goal attempts to tie her career best.
 
Purdue outscored the Raiders by five points in the first quarter and four in the second to lead 38-29 at intermission. It was still 49-41 Boilermakers late in the third quarter thanks to eight straight points from Curtis – two threes and a jumper in the paint.
 
But Purdue put together a 16-2 run over the last 2:21 of the third and the opening 4:44 of the fourth to stretch the lead to 65-43. The advantage swelled to as much as 71-45 before Colgate reeled off the final six points.
 
Tegan Graham contributed season highs of seven rebounds and five assists to go with four points and two steals. Graham has 11 boards and nine assists over the last two games. Abby Schubiger and Tori Pozsonyi scored six points apiece, while Kateri Stone added five points and three assists.
 
Purdue placed four in double figures, led by 13 from Andreona Keys.
 
Bottom Line
• Purdue 71, Colgate 51
 
Won-Lost Records
• Colgate is now 1-6.
• Purdue improved to 5-4.
 
Quick Recap
• Curtis scored the game's first bucket, handing Colgate its only lead of the afternoon.
• Kateri Stone scored five points off the bench as Colgate kept it close through one quarter, 22-17.
• Curtis connected for 10 points in the second quarter. It was 33-29 Boilers before Purdue ran off the last five to lead 38-29 at intermission.
• Curtis scored eight straight Colgate points to keep the Raiders within 49-41. But a cold final 2½ minutes allowed Purdue to score the last four points to lead 53-41 heading to the fourth.
• The Boilermaker run continued into the fourth, reaching 16-2 over a combined 7:05 stretch as Purdue went in front 65-43.
• Colgate scored the game's final six points to account for the 71-51 result.
 
Facts & Figures
• Colgate was a sharp 8-of-13 from the floor in the first quarter. The Raiders ended the game at 37.7 percent to 44.3 for the hosts.
• Curtis' previous career scoring high was 20 in last year's win at Boston University.
• Colgate's bench was outscored for the first time this season, 22-9.
• Schubiger's six points were a season high. The first-year forward was 3-of-4 from the field.
• The Raiders lead the Patriot League in free throw shooting, but they weren't able to display those skills to the Big Ten audience. Colgate finished the game 0-of-1 at the line.
• Colgate eclipsed the 20-turnover mark for the third straight game, finishing with 21. The Raiders did force 17 Boiler miscues.
• Colgate was whistled for a season-low 13 fouls.
 
From the Sources
• Colgate head coach Bill Cleary: (On the game) "At the start of that fourth quarter, we missed a couple of shots and we got a little tight. It showed on the defensive end, because what was keeping us in the game was our defense. We had a couple of defensive lapses that they capitalized on. You can't give a team like Purdue those opportunities, because they are going to take advantage of them.
 
(On Curtis' game) "She was keeping us in that game. And our players did a great job of recognizing that Katie has the hot hand and they were getting her the ball."
 
Listen to the rest of Coach Cleary's comments HERE.
 
• Colgate guard Katie Curtis: (On her game) "It was great to be back in front of them. It's been since high school, so it was awesome to have that big of a cheer section. They were rooting for the team and were rowdy, which makes it more fun.
 
"I took a few at the beginning, and they went in. So I was like, "All right. This could be good.' I was lucky to play well and hit some shots. It made it very sweet."
 
Listen to the rest of Curtis' comments HERE.
 
Gate Grab Bag
• The Raiders spent part of the day Saturday at the Curtis home in nearby Lebanon. They later practiced at Lebanon Middle School.
• Announced attendance at Mackey Arena was 5,610.
 
Up Next
• After playing six of their first seven games on the road, Colgate is home for a pair this week.
• The Raiders host Towson Thursday and LIU Brooklyn Saturday.
• Start time Thursday is 7 p.m. Saturday's game is the nightcap of a men's-women's doubleheader, which tips at 2 p.m. The Colgate-LIU Brooklyn contest should start between 4 and 4:30.
• The Raiders and Towson have never met in women's basketball. Colgate is 8-3 all-time against LIU Brooklyn, including a 63-53 road victory last year.