For a split second Portland and her Lady Lions had done something most people thought they could not. But drowned in the excitement of Penn State's apparent victory was a distinct shrill noise -- the referee's whistle.

Despite the fact that Lions forward Maren Walseth turned in one of her best games of the season recording a Penn State-high 17 points in only 27 minutes of playing time, it was erased with one fatal swoop of her hand.

On Figgs' missed 3-point shot Walseth committed a cardinal sin -- she gave an 85-percent free throw shooter a second chance.

Figgs capitalized on Walseth's untimely foul as she hit all three of her free throw opportunities, giving the Boilermakers a chance to win by helping send the game past regulation.

With a 76-74 overtime win, Purdue did take advantage of its second chance and Portland knew a lot of that had to do with Walseth's foul on Figgs well after the ball was released from her hand.

"We can't make mental mistakes, we have to get better," Portland said. "We still have room to grow, I think there is room for improvement. We have some players on our team that can give us more."

But on a night where Walseth matched her second-highest career point total, it is doubtful she could have given more. In addition to her 17 points, Walseth added a block and an assist as she provided a much-needed spark off the Penn State bench. On a night when All-Big Ten center Andrea Garner struggled in the paint, Walseth took on the role of the Lions' premier inside presence.

She played like the athlete Portland had expected to see when Walseth was highly recruited out of high school, but with her foul with only 35 seconds remaining, she also symbolized Penn State's youth and inexperience.

"Honestly, I don't remember what I was thinking (on the last play of the game)," Lions guard Lisa Shepherd said. "At that point, things are going so fast, I have no idea what I was thinking, and obviously no one else was thinking."