March 14, 2001
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By DAN GELSTON
Associated Press Writer
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) - Maynard Lewis scored a career-high 26 points, Carson Cunningham had 22, and the two combined for 11 3-pointers as Purdue beat Illinois State 90-79 Wednesday in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament.
The Boilermakers were 12-of-19 from 3-point range, four short of the team record of 16.
Purdue will play the winner of the Auburn-Miami game.
The Boilermakers (16-14) had an 18-point first-half lead sliced to seven five minutes into the second half. Cunningham then made his fourth 3-pointer to push the lead to 54-44.
It was 56-46 when Lewis made three 3-pointers in a three-minute span and the lead was back to 18, 67-49.
Lewis, who missed only one 3-point attempt, followed with two more as Purdue maintained its double-digit lead until the final minute of the game. Lewis scored his previous high, 22, against Minnesota last Thursday in the first round of the Big Ten tournament.
Illinois State (21-9) got 38 points from Tarise Bryson, the nation's ninth-leading scorer. Bryson led the Redbirds' comeback scoring 11 points in the final 3:50 of the first half and hitting a 3-pointer to make it 51-42 in the second. He was 11-of-18 from the floor, 12-of-15 from the free-throw line and made 4-of-6 3-pointers.
Bryson followed with another 3-pointer at the 3:10 mark as the Redbirds, playing in the postseason for the first time since the 1998 NCAA tournament, cut it to 82-71. His two free throws with a minute left made it 86-77.
The Boilermakers, who started 11-3 before dropping 11 of their last 15 games, improved to 12-0 at Mackey Arena in the NIT. They're in their first NIT since 1992.
Purdue took control in the first half with three straight 3-pointers-two by Cunningham and one by Kenny Lowe, who scored 14, and led 44-31 at the half.