WEST LAFAYETTE — Purdue basketball couldn’t quite put Penn State away with authority Saturday, taking a one-point lead into halftime and surviving 93-85.
Boilermakers coach Matt Painter wanted more from a defense which has allowed 73 or more in three straight games after holding its previous five opponents to 60 or fewer. Yet he also wanted to give credit where due – specifically to Nittany Lions guard Freddie Dilione V.
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Dilione scored a career-high 25 points and helped Penn State to one of its best 3-point shooting nights of the season. The Nittany Lions needed that boost while playing without injured leading scorer Kayden Mingo for the second straight game.
That other game was a 74-72 loss to No. 1 Michigan. Penn State trailed Saturday by only seven with 5:38 to play before Purdue pulled away.
“Sometimes we look at things of that nature like, man, you get a 10-point lead – why don’t you take it to 18,” Painter said. “Well, Freddie Dilione didn’t let us. He looked pretty damn good to me today. I don’t know what you guys are watching. He looked like a real player. He was fabulous.”
Purdue did suffer defensive lapses. Penn State came in shooting 32.8% from 3-point range – among the worst percentages in the Big Ten. It made 12 of 27 (44.4%). That clip helped the Nittany Lions remain a nuisance until well into the second half.
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At the same time, the Boilermakers made other defensive plays which affected the outcome. Penn State turned the ball over on three straight first-half possessions during a 9-0 run. It finished the game with 10, compared to only three for Purdue, which built an 18-4 edge in points off turnovers.
“A couple of those were just having active hands on the ball and getting those steals,” Painter said. “For our team, I think it’s more than anything, when people show weakness we need to be aggressive. When they don’t, we need to be solid.”
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Purdue basketball coach Matt Painter credits Penn State’s Freddie Dilione V
