February 19, 1999
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Sloppy, sluggish and still victorious, No. 2 Purdue tied a Big Ten record with its 22nd consecutive win Friday night, struggling to a 63-61 triumph over lowly Minnesota.
Stephanie White-McCarty hit two free throws with two seconds left to win it after the Golden Gophers had rallied from a 13-point deficit to tie the game at 61.
White-McCarty scored 20 points despite shooting just 5-for-20, and Ukari Figgs scored 12 as the Boilermakers matched 22 consecutive victories by Iowa in 1987-88.
Purdue (24-1, 15-0 Big Ten) can break the record and become only the second team to go unbeaten in the conference with a win at Northwestern in the regular-season finale Sunday. Ohio State won all 18 conference games in 1984-85.
The Boilermakers, who won their last six games over Minnesota by an average of 29 points, committed 18 turnovers, 12 in the first half. Minnesota had 24 turnovers.
The Gophers (7-18, 2-13) lost for the 59th time in their last 63 Big Ten games, and for the 16th straight time at home against a conference opponent.
But they threatened to pull one of the biggest upsets in conference history.
Trailing 49-36 when Figgs converted a three-point play with 12:12 remaining, the Gophers used a 13-4 run to get back in the game. It was 53-49 when Antoinetta Blevins fed Jackie Tate for a layup with 6:40 left.
Blevins scored on three straight drives for Minnesota, and Purdue's lead was just 61-59 when Erin Olson made the second of two free throws with 2:01 left.
Olson missed a short jumper with 31 seconds left, but 6-foot-7 freshman Kim Bell rebounded the miss and was fouled by Camille Cooper with 29 seconds left. Bell, who came into the game just 7-for-13 at the line this season, hit both free throws to tie it at 61.
After a timeout, the Boilermakers worked the ball to White-McCarty. She drove the left side of the lane and was fouled by Tate on an awkward shot. She hit both free throws - she was 10-for-11 at the line for the night - and Mindy Hansen missed an off-balance 3-point attempt that would have won it at the buzzer.
Hansen was knocked to the floor on the shot, and Minnesota coach Cheryl Littlejohn, 0-15 at home in Big Ten games during her two seasons, stormed across the floor to protest that Hansen was fouled. But there was no call, and Purdue escaped with its 32nd win in its last 34 games.
Theresa LeCuyer led Minnesota with 13 points. Cassie VanderHeyden had 11 before fouling out with 3:52 remaining.
By RON LESKO
AP Sports Writer