Feb. 22, 2001
By DAN LEWERENZ
Associated Press Writer
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Kelly Mazzante scored 18 points and Lisa Shepherd had 17 Thursday night as No. 19 Penn State upset No. 5 Purdue 75-65.
A 3-point play by Rashana Barnes stopped a Purdue run and gave the Lady Lions (19-7, 11-4 Big Ten) a 66-58 lead with 2:57 left. Penn State hit 7 of 8 free throws in the last 1:10 to secure the win.
Down by 17 points, the Boilermakers (24-5, 14-2) went on a 13-1 run to close to 61-56 with 4:48 left. Camille Cooper's basket with 3:25 got the Boilermakers within 63-58, the closest they would come.
Mazzante had seven points and a steal during a 15-4 run that put the Lady Lions a 55-40 lead with 12:31 left. The freshman started the run with a 3-pointer from the left corner and ended it with a layup off a backdoor pass from Maren Walseth.
Penn State extended its lead to 60-43 on a Jess Brungo 3-pointer with 8:58 left.
Barnes finished with 15 points for the Lady Lions and Courtney Upshaw had 11 rebounds.
Katie Douglas had 25 points to lead the Boilermakers, and Kelly Komara added 11.
Mazzante and Barnes each scored six points in a 21-3 run that put the Lady Lions up 36-26 in the final minute of the first half. Fouls plagued Purdue in the first half - the Boilermakers committed 12 in the period to just six for the Lady Lions - and Penn State hit nine free throws during the run.
Douglas got a steal and a layup with six seconds left in the half, and Erika Valek's leaner at the buzzer brought Purdue within 36-30 at halftime.
The Boilermakers already had clinched the Big Ten regular-season title, making the fifth time in the nine seasons since Penn State joined the Big Ten that either Purdue or Penn State has won the league.
Penn State and Purdue have won five of the six Big Ten tournaments, with the Boilermakers beating Penn State in two of the last three championship games.