Brandon Newman hadn’t stepped onto the floor in a game in a month. He hadn’t scored in a game since mid-January. But when Purdue called on its sophomore guard, he delivered.

Newman was inserted into the game in the first half against Penn State with the Boilermakers struggling to find offense. He was a perfect 4-of-4 from the floor, connecting on a pair of 3-pointers to give his team a lift.

Thanks to the guard’s contributions off the bench, Purdue erased a double-digit deficit and took a 35-31 advantage into halftime. He finished the game scoring 12 points, one of three Boilers to hit double figures in a 69-61 win over the Nittany Lions.

“It’s an indescribable feeling. To hear my name called, I just knew — I had the utmost confidence in myself,” Newman said after the game. “Hearing the standing ovation from the crowd. It’s crazy. I can’t even believe it, to be honest. I’m at a loss for words. The last month-and-a-half, two months has been crazy, unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before. It took a lot of perseverance. Just getting up and continuing to try and do your job every day, even though there’s still so much uncertainty if you’re gonna play or not.”

Head coach Matt Painter has said throughout the season that Newman hasn’t done anything wrong, but that he’s been trying to tighten up the rotation. On Friday, he was looking for a spark to get the Boilermakers going against Penn State.

Newman delivered.

“Being in the gym, staying in the gym. Coming in before and after games, getting up shots, whether we’re home or away,” Newman said, when asked how he stayed prepared.

Purdue was the only Top 4 seed in this year’s B1G Tournament to advance to the semifinal round. The Boilermakers will play Michigan State in the second game on Saturday (approx. 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS).