Jan 16, 2003
By DAN GELSTON
Associated Press Writer
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue found the answer to slowing down Big Ten leading scorer Kelly Mazzante: switch defenders, get in her face and get in her head.
Shereka Wright scored 24 points, Mary Jo Noon had 18 points and 10 rebounds and Beth Jones added 14 points as No. 9 Purdue beat No. 13 Penn State 73-66 on Thursday night.
"We wanted to aggravate some people," Noon said. "With Mazzante, we wanted to frustrate her. That was checking her on the screens, checking her when she was cutting. That kind of stuff can get to a player. ... It worked to our advantage."
Lindsey Hicks scored nine points and Erika Valek had eight assists as the Boilermakers (14-2, 3-1 Big Ten) improved to 8-0 at home and 24-1 in Big Ten home games since 1999. Their only loss was to the Lady Lions more than two years ago.
Mazzante, who entered second in the nation in scoring with 26.6 points, scored 16 for Penn State (13-4, 4-1), but shot just 5-for-18. Tanisha Wright had 12 points and seven assists, and Ashli Schwab grabbed 16 rebounds for Penn State, which was averaging 84.2 points.
Penn State coach Rene Portland however, said it was more than Purdue's defense keeping Mazzante in check. Portland disagreed with a charging call against Mazzante late in the game.
"She was like a pinball getting hit by everybody, then all of a sudden she gets an offensive foul," Portland said. "We're very, very concerned about the holding that's happening with Kelly. The switch outs were good, but I still think she has the right to play the game."
Hicks would often start with Mazzante, but seemed to switch with nearly pass. Jones and Wright took turns and even some of the frontline players had a chance on the baseline.
"We knew right away it was going to be hard for one person to guard her," Jones said. "You could get worn out very easily if you're on her the whole game."
The Boilermakers went on an 18-4 run late in the second half to take a 66-56 lead that gave them the breathing room to hold off a late Penn State rally. Hicks and Jones each hit 3-pointers and Wright scored six points from the free-throw line during the run.
Wright lived at the line, getting the ball, driving for the basket and usually getting fouled. She scored 16 of her points from the line and was only 4-for-13 from the floor.
Penn State ran into foul trouble when Jess Strom and Jessica Brungo each had four fouls with six minutes left. The Boilermakers made 23 of 31 free throws. Penn State was only 11-for-15 from the line.
"For Shereka to have only four field goals and end up with 24 points, that makes things real difficult for us to win," Portland said.
Strom however, led a late charge and her 3 with 1:45 left helped Penn State pull to 67-65.
Then Wright jumped, looking to pass to Noon. A defender slid over, so instead of traveling, Wright tossed up an off-balance shot that went in with 3 seconds left on the shot clock. It pushed the lead back to four.
"I was just praying it would go in," Wright said. "Luckily it went in. It was just one of those days."
Said Portland: "I'm not real sure what that last shot was."
With 17 seconds left, Emily Heikes took the charge from Mazzante. Heikes then got fouled and miss both free throws, but Valek followed by making two foul shots to seal the win and snap the Lady Lions' three-game winning streak.
Purdue started the second half with a 7-0 run that erased a 36-33 halftime deficit. Noon's putback gave the Boilermakers a 37-36 lead and Valek followed with a 3.
The Lady Lions responded by taking a 46-42 lead. After another lead change, Penn State went up 52-48 after two straight 3s by Mazzante and Jennifer Brenden with 12:50 left. But the Lady Lions would soon fall behind the Boilermakers for good.