Cline lifts Purdue to overtime win over Penn State
STATE COLLEGE – Ryan Cline scored six of his 11 points in overtime to lift No. 14 Purdue to a 74-70 victory over Penn State Tuesday night.
Cline hit consecutive 3-pointers to secure his team’s sixth straight win in a game the Boilermakers led for just 9:16.
Vincent Edwards added 14 points, Isaac Haas chipped in 13 and Dakota Mathias scored 12 for the Boilermakers (12-3 Big Ten, 23-5).
Tony Carr scored 21 points, Lamar Stevens added 18 and Mike Watkins finished with 11 for Penn State (6-9, 14-14).
Penn State led for all but 7:35 of regulation and by as many as 10 points midway through the first half. But they surrendered the lead on a dunk by Haas with 10:13 left. The Nittany Lions used a 10-2 run and four straight baskets from Carr to send the game into overtime where Cline found his shot.
The Boilermakers cooled off after a recent hot streak saw them dominate for large stretches of games. Purdue’s five-game winning streak entering the night included wins over Michigan State, Rutgers and Northwestern, all by at least 17 points.
The Nittany Lions are still looking to eclipse their combined win total in January and February under coach Patrick Chambers. Penn State won six games for their best stretch in the two-month span a year ago and will have two more tries to surpass last year’s mark.
Purdue survived a scare and its place in the poll should remain safe.
Purdue plays at Michigan Friday.
Penn State travels to Minnesota Friday.