Kara Dunn's 29 Points Lead USC Past Purdue 83-57 for First Win of New Year

Kara Dunn scored a season-high 29 points on Sunday, leading USC to an 83-57 win over Purdue at the Galen Center. The victory was the Trojans' first of the new year and moved them to 3-0 all-time against the Boilermakers.

Freshman Jazzy Davidson opened the scoring with a three-pointer in the first 10 seconds off an assist from Malia Samuels, and Dunn followed with six straight points to give USC a 9-7 edge. The Trojans took a 21-11 lead after the first quarter, scoring 11 of their 21 points off Purdue turnovers.

Trojans Take Control Early

Sophomore Vivian Iwuchukwu opened the second quarter with a layup off a Davidson assist, and the Trojans kept the pressure on. Dunn had 16 first-half points on 6-of-8 shooting, including a perfect 3-of-3 from beyond the arc, as USC carried a 42-27 lead into halftime.

Davidson scored the first five points of the third quarter, sparking a 24-point frame that stretched the lead to as many as 24. Dunn capped the quarter with a layup in the final second for a 66-42 advantage, and USC closed out the win from there.

Dunn Stays Hot

Dunn finished 12 of 17 from the field, including 4 of 6 from three-point range. It was her eighth straight game in double figures and her fourth straight with 20 or more points. The Georgia Tech transfer has been the engine of the USC offense all season.

USC finished with 25 assists on 30 made field goals and held edges in points off turnovers (30-19), fast-break scoring (22-2) and paint production (40-24). The Trojans shot 46.9 percent from the floor.

Daye Leads Purdue

Tara Daye posted her fifth double-double of the season for Purdue with 21 points and 10 rebounds, one shy of her career high. She scored 14 of her points in the first half and finished 3 of 3 from three-point range with three steals and two assists.

Kiki Smith added 15 points with a season-high three three-pointers, and Avery Gordon matched her career high with 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting. Madison Layden-Zay handed out a season-high seven assists but went scoreless, missing all five field goal attempts.

Purdue committed 21 turnovers, its most since a Dec. 31 loss to Ohio State, and shot 37 percent from the field. USC improved to 11-7 overall and 3-4 in Big Ten play, while Purdue fell to 10-8 and 2-5 in the conference. The Boilermakers close their West Coast trip Wednesday night at No. 3 UCLA.