Basketball <\/p>\n
Purdue’s best opportunity to climb up the Big Ten standings and secure its place in the conference tournament comes in the span of the next 10 days. From Feb. 4 through Feb. 14, the Boilermakers will play the three worst teams in the league, a chance to put together a winning streak and carry momentum into the most important portion of the season.<\/p>\n
Currently, the Boilermakers sit at 3-8 in Big Ten play, putting them at 14th in the conference standings. The top 15 teams in the league make the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament in March.<\/p>\n
The Boilermakers host Penn State (0-11 Big Ten) on Wednesday, followed by a trip to Indiana (1-10 Big Ten) on Sunday and another home game against Rutgers (1-10 Big Ten) on Feb. 14. Should Purdue win all three of those games, it will have a 6-8 record in the conference with only four games to play.<\/p>\n
It would then have tiebreakers over Penn State, Indiana, Rutgers and Wisconsin. <\/p>\n Make no mistake, simply participating in the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament isn’t the long-term goal for coach Katie Gearlds and her staff. However, qualifying for the conference tournament a year after missing out on the event would be a step in the right direction.<\/p>\n Last year, Purdue finished the regular season with a 10-19 record, which included a 3-15 mark in Big Ten play. The Boilers have an opportunity to double their conference win total from last season and close out the year with a .500 record or better.<\/p>\n In order to do that, Purdue must take advantage of this upcoming three-game stretch. After Feb. 14, the schedule toughens up with games against No. 10 Iowa and No. 22 Maryland. The Boilers then close the season with a home game against Oregon and road trip to Northwestern.<\/p>\n Already scoring wins over Wisconsin, No. 24 Washington and Indiana, Purdue has put itself in position to finish the regular season with at least seven Big Ten wins. For a program trying to get back to the top of the conference, it would be a significant step forward.<\/p>\n This year’s Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament is scheduled for March 4 through 8 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The league’s top 15 teams will qualify for the event, the same format as the 2025 tournament.<\/p>\n Here’s a look at the current conference standings (Feb. 3) as we enter the final full month of the women’s college basketball season.<\/p>\n Get top Boilermakers stories, expert analysis, and can’t-miss moments straight to your inbox for free by signing up for the\u00a0<\/em>Purdue Boilermakers on SI\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/a>newsletter!<\/em><\/p>\n GEARLDS HITS MILESTONE IN WIN OVER IU<\/strong>: Purdue women’s basketball coach Katie Gearlds hit an impressive milestone on Sunday after leading the Boilermakers to an 80-69 victory over Indiana. CLICK HERE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\nCurrent Big Ten women’s basketball standings<\/h2>\n
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Related stories on Purdue women’s basketball<\/h2>\n