Feb. 14, 2010
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - On a day that was designated for breast cancer awareness and charitable contributions for research, the Boilermakers did much of their damage from the charity stripe hitting 29 of 38 free throws to defeat Penn State 63-59.
Senior guard Jodi Howell led Purdue with 13 points while freshman Ashley Wilson contributed 10 points and nine rebounds and classmate Sam Ostarello had six points, 13 rebounds - including seven offensive boards, two assists, three blocks and two steals.
Purdue struggled from the field in the first half connecting on just 7 of 18 for 38 percent and turned the ball over 13 times. The Boilermakers hit 12 of 15 free throws to offset poor shooting, but the Lady Lions held a 28-27 advantage at the half.
It was much of the same in the second period. The Boilermakers made 8 of 27 shots (29.6 percent) but Penn State committed their seventh team foul with 14:17 remaining, putting the Boilermakers at the line often in the second half. Purdue attempted a season-high 38 free throws and made a season-high 29.
The second half was a back-and-forth battle that featured five ties and three lead changes. The Boilermakers committed 20 turnovers, which the Lady Lions converted into 11 points.
Eventually, Purdue's defense and timely shooting would prevail. Howell, who came off the bench for only the second time this season, drained a three with 53 seconds in the game, stretching the Boilermakers' lead to six. Purdue extended its lead to seven points - its largest of the game - with five seconds to play on a made free throw by Brittany Rayburn, but Penn State's Alex Bentley hit a three pointer with under two seconds to bring the final score to 63-59.
Bentley scored a team-high 20 points for the Lady Lions while Tyra Grant scored 18. Purdue did an excellent job defensively on the rest of the team as no other Penn State player tallied more than six points.
The contest was Purdue's Pink Zone game, a Women's Basketball Coaches' Association initiative to raise awareness for breast cancer. Purdue collected nearly $7,600 for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Indianapolis chapter through a silent auction of the game jerseys, the sale of pink tennis balls that were used in a halftime promotion and general donations.
Purdue has a bye this Thursday and will return to action on Sunday, Feb. 21 at Illinois. That game will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network and is slated for a 5 p.m. ET tipoff.