Feb. 18, 2006
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) -- Travis Parker scored 21 points and Penn State used a barrage of 3-point baskets to beat Purdue 69-61 Saturday.
With former Purdue coach Gene Keady, now an NBA assistant with the Toronto Raptors, visiting Mackey Arena and sitting in the stands a dozen rows behind the Penn State basket, the Boilermakers took a six-point lead in the first eight minutes of the game.
But the Nittany Lions (13-11, 5-8 Big Ten) scored four of their first six baskets on 3-pointers, and Parker added one long-range basket and Ben Luber hit two more during a 13-2 run midway through the period.
The last lead for Purdue (9-15, 3-10) was at 29-28 late in the first half on a basket by Matt Kiefer. But Penn State pulled ahead 34-29 at the break and slowly widened the lead at the start of the final period.
Two more 3-pointers by Parker and one by David Jackson helped the Nittany Lions to a 52-37 lead with 10 minutes to go. The Boilermakers cut it to 55-47 with under 4 minutes remaining, but Jackson hit another 3-pointer, Parker scored again and the Nittany Lions stayed comfortably in front the rest of the way.
Penn State, which beat Purdue by 20 points last month, finished 10-of-24 from behind the arc, including a matching career-high four by Parker.
Luber added 13 points and Jackson finished with 12. Geary Claxton and freshman Jamelle Cornley had career highs in rebounds with 15 and 12, respectively.
Kiefer led Purdue with 17 points and 10 rebounds, but he had only one basket and two free throws in the second half. Chris Lutz added 10 points for the Boilermakers, who hit just 6-of-28 3-pointers.