Johnson leads Purdue past Penn State

Johnson's double-double, Smith's sharp shooting lead Purdue past PSU

Bryce Jordan Center, University Park, PA

In a contest featuring three of the Big Ten's most prodigious scorers, Purdue's JaJuan Johnson registered a double-double and Ryne Smith tallied 20 points as the Boilermakers topped Penn State 83-68 Wednesday night at the Bryce Jordan Center. While E'Twaun Moore was held silent, Johnson's inside presence and Smith's stroke beyond the arc propelled 11th-ranked Purdue (14-1) to a ninth-straight victory, as Jeff Brooks' double-double and a big game off the bench from Jermaine Marshall were not able to make up for Talor Battle's struggles for the Nittany Lions (8-6).

Purdue has won 10 straight road games dating back to last season, the longest active streak in the nation. Penn State, meanwhile, has now lost five consecutive contests against the Boilermakers and has dropped its last 10 matchups against ranked opponents.

Moore, coming off a 31-point effort against Northwestern, had just four points against PSU. But Johnson muscled his way to the basket and owned the boards for the Boilermakers. The 6-10 senior scored 15, snatched 15 boards and blocked five shots, posting his sixth double-double of the season. Johnson's rebounding helped Purdue to a 43-28 boards advantage over PSU.

Smith was a perfect 5-for-5 on 3-point shots and went 5-for-7 from the foul line. With Moore and Johnson drawing defenders' attention, Smith has now scored in the double digits in three straight games.

The Boilermakers also enjoyed a big game from Lewis Jackson, who netted 17 points. A pair of underclassmen contributed, too, as sophomore Kelsey Barlow scored 10 and freshman Terone Johnson had 9 points off the bench, while teaming with Jackson to make Battle's night miserable.

Battle scored 18 points, but he couldn't find his stroke consistently. He shot 6-of-22 from the field, taking several deep 3's that missed the mark. Battle was 2-of-9 when attempting a trey. PSU kept the score respectable due to Brook's 15 points and 10 rebounds, as well as an unexpected performance from Marshall, who spun his way to the net for 18 points.

Marshall, a redshirt freshman who sat last year while recovering from a knee injury suffered in high school, entered the game averaging less than four minutes of game action and under two points per game for the Nittany Lions. Marshall's outburst gave PSU coach Ed DeChellis a welcome boost off the bench with guard Taran Buie unavailable. Buie hasn't played since December 27 after being suspended for a violation of team rules.

PLAY OF THE GAME

Jeff Brooks stole an inbound pass from Purdue's Ryne Smith with 8:14 left in the game, slamming it home, getting fouled by Smith and then converting the free throw for a physical three-point play.

TEAM STATS

FG%: PSU 41.0, PUR 47.3

FT%: PSU 65.0, PUR 61.0

3-PT: PSU 27.8, PUR 46.2

RBS: PSU 28, PUR 43

LEADERS

Scoring: PSU- Battle, Marshall 18; PUR- Smith 20

Rebounds: PSU- Brooks 10; PUR- Johnson 15

Assists: PSU- Frazier 8; PUR- Moore 5

Blocks: PSU- Brooks 3; PUR- Johnson 5

Steals: PSU- Jackson, Brooks, Frazier, Marshall, 2; PUR- Jackson 2

NEXT UP

The schedule doesn't get any easier for Penn State, as the Nittany Lions play host to the Michigan State Spartans at 1 p.m. on Saturday. It's the second of five straight matchups for Penn State against currently ranked teams. Purdue hosts Iowa for a noon tip-off on Sunday against the Hawkeyes.