Lions fall hard at Purdue, 80-56

* Courtesy of Penn State Sports Information

WEST LAFAYETTE, IND.; Feb. 29, 2012 - Playing for the first time in 40 years on Leap Day, Penn State (12-18; 4-13 Big Ten) fell to a red-hot Purdue team, 80-56, Wednesday night in West Lafayette.

The Boilermakers (20-10; 10-7 Big Ten) shot a blazing 65 percent in the second half to post their fifth win in their last six games and avenge a 65-45 loss at the Jordan Center earlier this season behind 26 points from senior Robbie Hummel.

Penn State fell to 2-16 in Mackey Arena, losing for the sixth-straight time in the newly refurbished home of the Boilermakers. The Lions got 24 points, six assists and five rebounds from Tim Frazier (Houston, Texas) as the junior tied Penn State's season assist record on the night. Frazier fed freshman Trey Lewis for a corner three in the second half for his 189th assist on the year tying Talor Battle's mark set in 2009. Frazier logged his Big Ten leading 16th 20-point game of the season.

Lewis finished with eight points on the night, scoring for the first time since Jan. 1 after missing 10 games with a lower back injury. Jermaine Marshall added 10 and Sasa Borovnjak eight for the Lions who shot 45.8 percent for the game and trailed by just five at the half.

Senior guard Cammeron Woodyard (Westminster, Md.) did not play in the game and is likely to miss the remainder of the season after suffering a fracture in his right foot during shooting drills towards the end of Penn State's Wednesday morning shoot-around in West Lafayette.

Purdue hit 10 of its first 12 from the floor in the second half to break open a five-point halftime lead and were a blazing 75 percent from the floor for most of the second period as they opened up as much as a 27-pointlead. Purdue hit 9-of-22 from three for the game and won the rebounding battle 31-17.

The Boilers scored the first 11 points of the second half to open a 48-32 lead and never looked back as Lewis Jackson joined Hummel getting hotfrom the floor scoring all 12 of his points in the second half and Ryne Smith hit three second half threes.

The teams traded baskets through a well-played first half that saw Penn State shoot 56 percent and Purdue 50 percent and both teams ride theirstars. Frazier was phenomenal shooting 6-of-7 from the floor for 16 points and four assists while Hummel came alive midway through the half to finish with 17 points and four rebounds. Hummel's three in the closing seconds of the half sent Purdue to the locker room with a 37-32 lead.

Frazier scored Penn State's first nine points of the game as he hit his first three shots from the field, including a three, and a pair at the foul line. When he fed Jon Graham for a short bucket the Lions led 11-9 and extended the lead to 14-12 after Frazier hit Jermaine Marshall for a three.

Hummel responded scoring 10-straight points in a 10-0 Purdue runthat put the Boilermakers up 22-14 for their largest lead of the half. WithMackey Arena roaring, Frazier drove, scored and drew a foul. He completed the three-point play to end the run and begin a 16-7 Penn State run that would put the Lions back in front.

Frazier scored two baskets and assisted on two others, a short jumper in the lane from Sasa Borovnjak and a three from Trey Lewis, to cap the run and give the Lions a 30-29 lead late in the half. For Lewis, who missed 10 games with a lower back injury, it was his first basket since January 1 at Northwestern.

Hummel answered again hitting a three and drawing a foul from Ross Travis. He hit the free throw for a four-point play that put the Boilers up33-30. Borovnjak scored a lay-up for the Lions last points of the half and Hummel hit his second three of the half to close the scoring in the first 20 minutes.

Penn State will return to the Bryce Jordan Center Sunday for "Senior Day" in a 1:00 p.m. tip vs. No. 13 Michigan on ESPN. Penn State will honor Cammeron Woodyard and Billy Oliver approximately 15 minutes before tip-off of Sunday's final home game.

Nittany Lion Basketball single-game tickets or group tickets can be purchased by calling 1-800-NITTANY, visiting GoPSUsports.com or through Ticketmaster. Single-game tickets are $18 for the lower bowl and $15 for upper level tickets for adults. Youth tickets (18 and under) are $7 for the lowerbowl and $5 for upper level seating, while Penn State student tickets (University Park or branch campus) are $5. Penn State also offers special basketball group ticket rates for groups of 15 fans or more. Nittany Lion group rates are $10 for adults and $5 for youth.