Jan 2, 2004
By JON KRAWCZYNSKI
Associated Press Writer
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.(AP)- The seventh-ranked Boilermakers shot 21 percent from the field, the second-lowest percentage in school history, in a 47-42 loss to No. 10 Penn State on Friday night in the Big Ten opener for both.
Tanisha Wright scored 17 points to help Penn State (8-3) give Purdue its first home loss in the conference in 32 games. Purdue's last Big Ten home loss was on Jan. 6, 2000, against Penn State.
As the clock ticked away on Friday, the Nittany Lions stormed the court and could be heard celebrating raucously in the locker room.
"We've come so close the last two years," Penn State's Kelly Mazzante said. "It's just tremendous."
Penn State used an 11-1 run in the second half to take a 36-31 lead, then traded baskets the rest of the way.
Purdue (9-2) just could not find a way to get the ball in the basket. The Boilermakers made 13 of 63 shots, including going 5-of-31 in the second half.
It was another poor shooting performance for Purdue, which shot 32 percent in a win over UCLA and 31 percent in a win over UC-Santa Barbara in December.
"We didn't make plays, we didn't make shots, we didn't deserve to win," Purdue coach Kristy Curry said.
In a tough, Big Ten-style game, both teams scored their fewest points of the season.
Mazzante added 13 for the Nittany Lions, who snapped a two-game losing streak.
"It's been a struggle for me personally and for our team the last two games," said Penn State coach Rene Portland, who broke her leg on Dec. 18 after slipping on ice and roamed the sidelines in a makeshift walker. "The team had to do some soul searching. It was a great defensive battle and we were lucky to score more points than they did."
Mazzante came into the game leading the Big Ten in scoring with a 22.9-point average, but struggled to get her shot off and finished 6-of-16.
Shereka Wright, Purdue's leading scorer, was equally flustered against double and triple teams from the Nittany Lions. Wright led the team with 16 points, but shot just 4-of-16 from the field.
"We knew how important it was to come in here and play good defense," Mazzante said. "That was our focus."
The Nittany Lions outrebounded the Boilermakers 51-38, led by Jess Brungo's 13 rebounds and point guard Jess Strom's 10.
The Nittany Lions shot just 34 percent for the game, allowing the Boilermakers to hang around.
"You can't blame it on offense," Shereka Wright said. "You have to defend and rebound. In crucial situations, we didn't do that."
Penn State opened the game with an 8-0 run. The Nittany Lions led by as many as 10 in the first half while Purdue managed just two field goals over the first 12 minutes.
Purdue shot just 18.5 percent over the first 17 minutes, but closed the half with a 13-2 run that gave them a 25-21 lead.
Katie Gearlds was the only Boilermaker to get anything going in the first half, shooting 3-for-4 from the field and scoring nine points, including two 3s during the run.
She scored 11 points on 4-of-9 shooting for the game.
Down 45-42, Purdue had a shot to tie the game with under 13 seconds to play. Curry called a play designed to get a 3-point attempt for Gearlds or Beth Jones, but Erika Valek inexplicably drove the ball to the basket, missing a layup.
Brungo got the rebound and sealed the win with two free throws.
"It was a poor decision, point blank," a visibly frustrated Curry said of Valek. "They're kids. What can you say? It wasn't anywhere near what we wanted."