A valiant effort on the road against a Big Ten foe wasn’t enough for Marshall women’s basketball to pick up a season-opening win Thursday night. 

After a disconnected first quarter from the Herd put them in a hole early, the uphill climb began. Marshall trailed by 14 going into the second quarter but turned the tide by out-scoring the Lady Boilermakers by 10. 

Trailing Purdue by only four points at the break, the game was highly competitive. Two more tight quarters weren’t enough to overcome the early deficit, with Purdue taking home the victory, 73-61. 

Marshall’s Roshala Scott led the team in Thursday’s fight by scoring 20 points for the Herd. The home opener at the Cam Henderson Center is set for 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday when Marshall takes on West Virginia Wesleyan.