| BIG TEN TOURNAMENT: PURDUE 64, Penn State 59 Chicago, Ill. | United Center (17,290) - Box Score | Box Score  | Interviews | SoundCloud Audio | Photos  | Media CenterSocial Media: @BoilerBall  | Facebook  | Instragram | SoundCloud |
Rapheal Davis scored 13 points in Purdue's 64-59 win over Penn State.
#BoilerNotes
- Purdue snapped a three-game losing streak in the Big Ten Tournament with its 64-59 win over Penn State.
- Purdue has reached the Big Ten Tournament semifinals for the first time since the 2010 tournament. Purdue is now 10-16 all-time in the Big Ten Tournament and 5-6 in the quarterfinal round.
- Purdue recorded seven blocked shots against the Lions, and now have 173 blocks this season, the second most in a season in school history (2009 - 176).
- Purdue improved to 104-4 under Matt Painter when holding foes to 59 points or less. It marked the 11th time this season that Purdue has held foes to 59 points or less.
- Purdue is now 7-2 on the season against Big Ten foes when trailing at halftime. The Boilermakers recorded their fourth double-digit comeback of the season (all in Big Ten play).
- Purdue improved to 18-0 on the season when attempting more free throws than its opponent.
- The starting lineup of Vince Edwards, A.J. Hammons, Jon Octeus, Rapheal Davis and Dakota Mathias now owns a 9-0 record.
- Penn State's three turnovers were the second fewest against the Boilermakers in school history.
- Purdue has now played seven straight games by seven or fewer points.
- Purdue has outshot its opponent in six straight games.
- Purdue's big three of A.J. Hammons, Rapheal Davis and Jon Octeus combined for 45 of Purdue's 64 points. Against Big Ten foes, when scoring 30 or more points between them, Purdue is 12-3.
- During Purdue's 13-0 run to turn a 50-44 deficit into a 57-50 lead, Purdue's freshmen duo of Dakota Mathias and Vince Edwards scored eight straight points (50-44 to 52-50). The class accounted for 14 points to move into fifth place on the Purdue freshman scoring list by class (743).
- A.J. Hammons scored a season-high 23 points with nine rebounds and four blocks. He moved into 41st on the career scoring list (1,072 points) and 17th on the career rebounds list (643).
- Dakota Mathias scored seven points with a career-high tying six rebounds and a career-high five assists.
- Jon Octeus grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds.
CHICAGO (AP) A.J. Hammons scored 23 points on 7-for-10 shooting, and rugged Purdue wore down Penn State in the second half of a 64-59 victory in the Big Ten Tournament on Friday.
Rapheal Davis made three 3-pointers as Purdue advanced to the tournament semifinals for the first time since it won the title in 2009. Hammons also had nine rebounds, leading a strong effort on the glass that helped the Boilermakers play keep away during a key stretch in the second half.
Next up for Purdue (21-11) is a rematch with top-seeded Wisconsin, which advanced with a 71-60 victory over Michigan. The Boilermakers lost 62-55 to the Badgers on Jan. 7.
D.J. Newbill scored 19 points for Penn State (18-16), and Ross Travis had 10 points and nine rebounds. But the 13th-seeded Nittany Lions, who advanced with victories over Nebraska and Iowa, seemed to run out of energy in the final five minutes of their third game in three days.
Newbill was 6 for 18 from the field. The senior guard scored 44 points on 44 percent shooting in the wins over the Cornhuskers and Hawkeyes.
The Nittany Lions had a 50-44 lead with 9:10 left, but then went scoreless for the next 8 1/2 minutes. Davis, who was plagued by foul trouble in the first half, helped lead the defensive effort on Newbill and the Boilermakers surged in front with a 13-0 run.
Jon Octeus made two foul shots with 53.2 seconds to go, giving Purdue a 57-50 lead. Newbill stopped the drought with a 3 with 40 seconds remaining, but it was too late for the Nittany Lions, who were outrebounded 41-32.
The scoring drought at the end of the game was quite the contrast to Penn State's fast start. Travis had one of the flashiest plays of the tournament, driving down the lane for a big dunk over Hammons. Donovon Jack's 3-pointer as the shot clock expired made it 37-26 with 1:48 to go, leading to a timeout for Purdue.
The Boilermakers played much of the first half without Davis after the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year was whistled for his second foul with 9:06 left. But Kendall Stephens made a 3-pointer with a hand in his face in the final seconds, trimming the deficit to 37-32 at the break.
Davis started the second half and made a 3-pointer for Purdue's first basket, sparking a 10-2 run. Vince Edwards' layup with 15:20 left gave the Boilermakers a 42-41 lead, setting the stage for the frantic finish.
TIP-INS
Penn State: The Nittany Lions were 7 for 15 from 3-point range. ... Before the run in the tournament, Penn State dropped eight of its last 10 games of the regular season.
Purdue: Octeus finished with nine points and 11 rebounds. ... Davis had 13 points.
UP NEXT
Purdue takes on Wisconsin on Saturday.