Malone cleared to play

PURDUE POINT GUARD FAHKARA MALONE CLEARED TO PLAY                                                                                                                  For Immediate Release February 3, 2009   WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue head coach Sharon Versyp announced this afternoon that junior point guard FahKara Malone has received medical clearance to return to action. Malone will be available when the Boilermakers travel to Ohio State on Thursday, Feb. 5.  Malone has been on the sidelines since suffering an open dislocation of the ring finger on her right hand during overtime against Michigan State on Jan. 1, in West Lafayette, Ind.   The injury occurred with 2:42 remaining in the extra period with the score tied at 61-61. Malone was going for a loose ball in the paint in traffic and jammed her finger on an MSU player. The Spartans would go on to win 68-62 in Mackey Arena.   Malone, a native of Evansville, Ind., has played in 83 games as a Boilermaker and has started all but three. When injured, she was averaging 7.9 points, 3.4 assists and 1.9 steals per game. The 5-foot-3 guard is a two-time All-Big Ten defensive team member and was named Big Ten co-Player of the Week on Nov. 25. She holds eighth place in the Purdue record books for career steals with 227, she is in 11th for assists with 334 and 12th for career three-pointers with 94.   Purdue is 15-7 this season and tied for second place in the Big Ten with an 8-3 record. The Boilermakers played nine games without Malone and had a 7-2 record in her absence.   -  P  -