, who snapped a season-worst three-game skid.Tony Carr had 19 points, five rebounds and five assists, Shep Garner had 17 points and Lamar Stevens had 13 points and six rebounds for the Nittany Lions (19-10, 9-7). The loss ended a stretch of six wins in seven games.Ryan Cline's 3-pointer with 5:31 remaining gave Purdue a 61-58 lead, and the Boilers never trailed the rest of the way.It wasn't easy for a Purdue team in search of the same offensive flair that made the Boilermakers unbeatable during a program-record 19-game winning streak that stretched from November until a 64-63 loss to Ohio State on Feb. 7. It became more difficult without starting forward Vincent Edwards, one of the team's most consistent players.Vincent Edwards sat on the bench wearing a walking boot after spraining his left ankle in practice on Saturday. The team disclosed the injury in a statement before tipoff.It was another uncharacteristic game for the Boilermakers. They trailed by as much nine points in the first half, during which they shot 42.3 percent from the field and went 2 for 9 from 3-point range.Penn State led 36-32 at halftime.BIG PICTUREPenn State: Despite another poor offensive night by Purdue, the Nittany Lions proved their recent hot streak, which included a 79-56 blowout of No. 8 Ohio State, may not have been a fluke. Even after the Boilermakers found a groove in the second half, Penn State still never trailed by more than 11 points.Purdue: After dropping three straight conference games and falling in the Big Ten standings, the Boilermakers needed to get back on track quickly with just two regular season games remaining.UP NEXTPenn State: The Nittany Lions host Michigan on Wednesday.Purdue: The Boilermakers are at Illinois on Thursday.---More college basketball: https://collegebasketball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/-Top25)
Feb 17, 2018 WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Ten days ago, No. 6 Purdue stood alone atop the Big Ten Conference standings.Following consecutive one-possession losses to two fellow title contenders in No. 8 Ohio State on Feb. 7 and No. 2 Michigan State on Feb. 10 as well as a four-point loss at Wisconsin on Thursday, the Boilermakers (23-5, 12-3 Big Ten) now find themselves on the outside looking in for the conference regular season championship at 1 1/2 games behind the league-leading Spartans.Purdue looks to regain momentum heading into postseason play but must get through one of the hottest teams in the conference to do so Sunday when it hosts Penn State.The Nittany Lions (19-9, 9-6) have won four straight and six of their last seven conference games, including a 79-56 victory over Ohio State on Thursday.Sophomore guard Tony Carr, whose 19.6 points per game ties Kieta Bates-Diop for most in the conference, outshined the probable Big Ten Player of the Year Thursday, scoring 30 points to Bates-Diop's 10."They have a lot of talented guys," Purdue coach Matt Painter said of Penn State. "Their defense is very good. Mike Watkins is a guy that gets a lot of double-doubles and is a good shot blocker. Tony Carr is one of the best players in our league. They've got a lot of weapons." Penn State has not won a game at Mackey Arena since Feb. 18, 2006, but if Carr plays the way he did Thursday night, it could spell trouble for the Boilermakers, who have struggled to contain prolific scorers during their three-game skid.Purdue gave up 18 points to Bates-Diop on Feb. 7, 20 points to Miles Bridges on Feb. 10 and 21 points to Ethan Happ on Thursday at the Kohl Center.Another issue for the Boilermakers recently has been forced or rushed offense, often settling for contested jump shots early in the shot clock. Painter addressed the quick shots, saying they needed to be reduced collectively moving forward."When we get those 10 to 14-point leads, now you kind of abuse the freedom that kind of helped you get to that point," Painter said. "You need the freedom to be able to make the right plays throughout the game. So, you create a lead, and then you shoot the basketball quick. That makes no sense. We want a quality possession whether it's one pass or seven passes." Senior guard PJ Thompson, who shoots 46.2 percent from 3-point range but has struggled in recent weeks, said he thinks the team needs to better utilize its plethora of scoring options."I think we've pressed a little bit," Thompson said. "I think we've taken some quick shots that's led to (opponents) going out and scoring at an easier rate. Us taking quick shots is just not the best for Purdue because we have so many people that can score the ball, one through five, we can all score the ball pretty well." Following the upset performance Thursday, Penn State coach Pat Chambers said the team would waste no time in preparing for the Boilermakers."My phrase is mental conditioning all year, mental toughness," Chambers said. "And we're going to need that Sunday night. We can't take anything for granted. These guys are dialed in, and we've got to keep getting better."As long as we stick together, stay connected and stay on the task at hand, and not get too far ahead, we'll keep getting better." Purdue's biggest weakness all season has been rebounding. The Boilermakers rank 10th in the conference in rebounds per game at 35.7. Penn State is 15-2 this season when outrebounding its opponents.
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