HAMMOND, Ind. – The No. 15 Purdue University Northwest women's basketball team couldn't overcome a slow start to the second half in Saturday's 97-68 conference loss to No. 3 St. Xavier University at the Fitness and Recreation Center.

PNW senior Cassidy Deno (Otterbein, Ind./Benton Central) (Otterbein, Ind./Benton Central) led the Pride (15-6, 10-2 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference) with 16 points and nine rebounds, classmate Darien Thompson (Anderson, Ind./Anderson) (Anderson, Ind./Anderson) added 12 points and three steals and Katie Wampler (Scottsburg, Ind./Scottsburg) (Scottsburg, Ind./Scottsburg) chipped in 10 points in the loss.

The visiting Cougars (18-1, 10-1) started the game out in front, leading 18-10 after the first quarter. The Pride would fight back, though, cutting the deficit to two, 23-21, on a Shae Rhonehouse (Fremont, Ind./Fremont) (Fremont, Ind./Fremont) layup at the 7:03 mark. But the Cougars would close out the half on a 18-7 run to head into the locker room up, 41-28.

The third frame did not prove to be kind to PNW, as the Pride made just 6-of-17 field goals compared to the Cougars who opened the quarter hot, draining 11-of-17 shots to take a commanding 27-point lead (73-46) heading into the fourth quarter.

Purdue Northwest shot just 35.9 percent (23-of-64) for the contest compared to 50 percent (38-of-76) for St. Xavier, who drained 11-of-30 (36.7 percent) from downtown. PNW hit 5-of-16 from 3-point land.

PNW did win the rebounding battle, 43-38, thanks to nine boards each from Deno and Ellie Michalski (Mukwonago, Wis./Mukwonago) (Mukwonago, Wis./Mukwonago), and NAIA Division II's leader in free-throw shooting made 17-of-24 (70.8 percent), though SXU hit all 10 of its attempts from the charity stripe.

The Cougars dominated in the paint, 48-28, and scored 33 points off 22 PNW turnovers.

Kara Krolicki led St. Xavier with 22 points and teammate Mikayla Leyden added 17 in the win.

Purdue Northwest returns to action Wednesday, Jan. 18, when the Pride host Governors State in a CCAC contest in Westville, Ind. Tip-off at the James B. Dworkin Center is set for 5 p.m. CT.