Purdue 56, Michigan 51

1/10/2008 8:28 PM

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) -Lakisha Freeman had 14 points, and the Purdue Boilermakers held on to beat Michigan 56-51 in a Big Ten matchup on Thursday night.

Danielle Campbell had 13 points and nine rebounds and Kalika France finished with 11 points for the Boilermakers (7-8, 3-1 Big Ten), who rebounded from a 50-point loss to No. 1 Connecticut on Jan. 6.

Carly Benson had 17 points and eight rebounds, and Krista Phillips chipped in 13 points for Michigan (9-5, 2-2), which lost for the second time in three games following a four-game win streak.

Trailing by six points with 6 minutes left, the Wolverines scored the next seven points, capped by Phillips' layup, to take a 49-48 lead.

After the teams traded baskets, Purdue regained a 52-51 advantage on Freeman's layup with 1:10 remaining. Michigan's ensuing possession resulted in a 24-second violation, and the Boilermakers' FahKara Malone then hit two free throws to extend the lead to three with 22 seconds left.

The Wolverines had a final chance, but Jessica Minnfield's jumper came up short.

Both teams struggled shooting in the first half, with Purdue at 37 percent from the field and the Wolverines at 33 percent. The Boilermakers, who trailed by as many as six points, tied the score at 24 on Malone's free throw just before the break.

Purdue used a 6-0 run early in the second half to open a 33-28 advantage. Following two straight baskets by Michigan, the Boilermakers answered with jumpers from France and Campbell to push the lead back to five with 12:30 left.