For the fifth time this season, the men's basketball team had victory within its grasp and found itself struggling late in the second half.

For the fourth time, the Nittany Lions lost, this one a 65-62 defeat to Purdue, proving that as the game gets tighter, so do the Lions.

"I'm frustrated every time we lose. It doesn't matter what the circumstances are," Coach Bruce Parkhill said. "I knew this would be a really tough game. To me, it was a toss-up between this game and Indiana as far as the toughest game of the year."

The end result was the same. The Lions (12-4, 4-3 Big Ten) have won 11 of their 12 victories by an average margin of 20 points. But their four losses -- to Texas Tech, Minnesota, Indiana and Purdue -- are by an average margin of 3.25 points.

Only in a 70-69 win at Duquesne on Nov. 30 have the Lions been able to withstand the pressure that comes with the game's waning moments. Even then, the Dukes made a late comeback on Tom Pipkins' four-point play before freshman guard Pete Lisicky sank a free throw with three seconds left to break the tie.

"We're definitely confident in that type of game," Lion guard Greg Bartram said. "We know how to play at that time in the game. We've had our chances, we just aren't executing."

One example of the Lions' sluggishness came with 41 seconds remaining in the game Saturday, when senior center John Amaechi failed to box out Cuonzo Martin, allowing Martin to rebound Matt Waddell's miss.

Amaechi fouled Martin, who made a free throw for a 61-58 lead. In the final two minutes, Amaechi also committed a turnover and missed a layup, admittedly crucial mistakes late in the game.

"From the outset, it was completely my fault," said Amaechi, taking blame for the loss despite a 16-point, 12-rebound effort. "I get a lot of credit when we win, so I should take the responsibility when we lose."

Although Purdue led, 61-58, the Lions had possession with 36 seconds remaining and a one-second difference between the game and shot clocks. Parkhill could have called time-out and diagrammed a set play. Instead, the ball went to Amaechi, who missed a layup.

"Geez, I thought we got the ball inside and got fouled," Parkhill said. "It wasn't called, but I thought the guys did a pretty good job."

But the Lions have lacked strategy in the final minutes. It was first noticeable against Indiana and again on Saturday against Purdue.

Lisicky committed three fouls in the last 1:12. He drew his fifth personal at 7.3 seconds as the Lions trailed by three and when Lisicky, Penn State's best pure shooter, was needed the most.

To make matters worse, he fouled Waddell, Purdue's best pure shooter.

"Sometimes things fall your way, sometimes they don't," Lion forward Rahsaan Carlton said. "This time they didn't."