Box Score WHITING, Ind. – The No. 15 Purdue University Northwest women's basketball team didn't leave its 12th conference victory of the year in doubt in a big 88-40 win over Calumet College of St. Joseph Wednesday night on the road at the Rittenmeyer Center.
The Pride (17-6, 12-2 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference) outscored the Crimson Wave (1-22, 1-13) by a 29-8 margin after one quarter and led by 55-12 at the half to put the game out of reach early.
Senior Darien Thompson (Anderson, Ind./Anderson) (Anderson, Ind./Anderson) scored 17 of her team-high 24 points in the first half, finishing 9-of-12 from the field and adding four assists and four rebounds. Freshman Shae Rhonehouse (Fremont, Ind./Fremont) (Fremont, Ind./Fremont) added 15 points and four assists and senior Cassidy Deno (Otterbein, Ind./Benton Central) (Otterbein, Ind./Benton Central) added 11 points, all scored in the first half.
Purdue Northwest finished 51.5 percent (35-of-68) from the field and hit nine 3-pointers, led by Deno's 3-for-9 performance. Comparatively, CCSJ shot just 28.8 percent (17-of-59) from the floor and 3-of-9 from 3-point land.
The Pride forced the Crimson Wave into a game-high 24 turnovers on 19 steals, while committing just 11 giveaways. Deno led the way with five steals and junior post Ellie Michalski (Mukwonago, Wis./Mukwonago) (Mukwonago, Wis./Mukwonago) and senior Katie Wampler (Scottsburg, Ind./Scottsburg) (Scottsburg, Ind./Scottsburg) had three each, with Michalski adding a team-best eight rebounds.
Sophomore Michaela Kikendall (Morristown, Ind./Morristown) (Scottsburg, Ind./Scottsburg) chipped in nine points, shooting 4-of-8, and freshman Bayley Goodman (Fowler, Ind./Benton Central) (Fowler, Ind./Benton Central) added seven points, a career-high. All 10 PNW players who reached the floor scored, with each player logging at least 15 minutes.
Brittni Kisul was the lone CCSJ player in double-figures, scoring 24 points on 9-of-18 shooting from the floor and 3-of-7 from the 3-point line.
Purdue Northwest returns to action Saturday, Jan. 28, when the Pride host CCAC foe Roosevelt University at the Fitness and Recreation Center in Hammond. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. CT. Saturday is also Kids Day, sponsored by McDonald's, as all kids under 18 will get in free to the event complete with free t-shirts to the first 150, carnival games, face-painting, autograph poster signing and more.
The PNW women will also honor its senior class – Deno, Wampler and Thompson – prior to the starting lineups in honor of Senior Day.
