WESTVILLE, Ind. — Behind a senior-led effort, the No. 14 Purdue University Northwest women's basketball team came back from an early deficit to defeat visiting Judson University Saturday, 79-60. 

The Pride (12-3, 8-0 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference) remained unbeaten in league play with the win at the James B. Dworkin Student Services and Activities Complex, PNW's fifth-straight victory. 

Seniors Darien Thompson (Anderson, Ind./Anderson) (Anderson, Ind./Anderson) and Cassidy Deno (Otterbein, Ind./Benton Central) (Otterbein, Ind./Benton Central) netted identical 24-point performances, with Deno notching her fourth double-double of the season with a game-high 14 rebounds. 

Classmate Katie Wampler (Scottsburg, Ind./Scottsburg) (Scottsburg, Ind./Scottsburg) added 11 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks and freshman Shae Rhonehouse (Fremont, Ind./Fremont) (Fremont, Ind./Fremont) chipped in 10 points and four boards to round out the Pride leaders. 

Judson (8-6, 4-3) opened the game hot, jumping out to a 25-19 lead after one quarter, led by Jayla Barrett, who totaled 18 points in the first half. Judson would go on to lead by as many as 12, 39-27, when Bethany Zornow drilled a triple at the 4:47 mark of the second quarter. 

But PNW, who struggled from the field in the first half (38.7 percent), would stay in the game by getting to the free-throw line, making 13-of-16 in the first half — led by Wampler's 6-for-6 performance. Thompson added nine points in that quarter, including fast-break layup with six seconds left to cut the deficit to just three, 41-38, heading into the locker room. 

Aided by the momentum of the second quarter, PNW opened the third frame on a tear, outscoring the Eagles 25-6 to take a commanding 16-point lead heading into the fourth quarter. Deno found her stroke in the third, draining back-to-back 3s to score 13 points and Thompson added eight points of her own. 

PNW never let it get closer than 14 points in the fourth, leading by as many as 20 points with 3:38 to play. 

Purdue Northwest finished the game shooting 43.1 percent (28-of-65) from the field compared to 31.3 percent (21-of-67) for Judson, and the Pride outscored the Eagles in the paint, 42-18. 

Barrett was held to just four points in the second half, finishing with 22 to lead Judson and teammate Melanie Claudio added 13 points in the setback. 

Purdue Northwest returns to action after the Christmas holiday, when the Pride travel to Miami Gardens, Fla., for the St. Thomas Tournament Dec. 27-28. PNW will take on host St. Thomas on the 27th, followed by a matchup with NAIA Division I No. 6 team, Campbellsville (Ky.), on Dec. 28th.