JOLIET, Ill. – The No. 14 Purdue University Northwest women's basketball team hung with the nation's top team for the first 20 minutes, but No. 1 St. Francis (Ill.) pulled away late for a 80-67 conference victory Tuesday night at USF's Sullivan Center.

The unbeaten Fighting Saints (14-0, 7-0 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference) handed the Pride (13-5, 8-1) their first league loss of the season in what was a close contest until midway through the third quarter.

Junior post Ellie Michalski (Mukwonago, Wis./Mukwonago) (Mukwonago, Wis./Mukwonago) led PNW with 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field and senior Cassidy Deno (Otterbein, Ind./Benton Central) (Otterbein, Ind./Benton Central) added 15 points and five boards in the loss.

USF led by as many as nine, 18-9, with 2:42 to play in the first frame, when the Saints' Kamari Jordan hit a layup with 2:42 to play in the quarter. But PNW would answer with a Deno triple and Michalski bucket inside to cut the lead to four, before the quarter ended with  USF up, 21-16.

Michalski helped keep PNW close through the first 20 minutes, as the junior netted a team-best 12 of her 17 points, including a bucket inside via a Shae Rhonehouse (Fremont, Ind./Fremont) (Fremont, Ind./Fremont) assist in the final seconds of the second quarter.

A big Rhonehouse triple out of the break cut USF's lead to just one, 36-35, but the Saints would immediately answer with a 5-0 run to jump back up six. PNW kept that lead to single digits until 1:31 to play in the third, as the Saints headed to the fourth quarter up 11, 62-51.

USF opened the fourth in on a 8-2 run to take a 17-point lead and would go on to lead by as many as 18, 78-60, with three minutes left.

PNW shot just 38.6 percent from the field (22-of-57) compared to 48.6 percent (34-of-70) for USF, who made nine 3s (9-for-21) compared to six (6-for-15) for PNW. The Pride stayed in the game thanks to the free-throw line, making 17-of-22, compared to 3-of-6 for the Saints.

USF dominated on the boards, 41-30, and had 18 assists compared to PNW's seven.

PNW senior Katie Wampler (Scottsburg, Ind./Scottsburg) (Scottsburg, Ind./Scottsburg) added eight points and six boards and classmate Darien Thompson (Anderson, Ind./Anderson) (Anderson, Ind./Anderson) had eight points for the Pride.

Five players reached double-figure scoring for USF, led by Christina Ehkomu's 18 and Charnelle Reed's 17-point, 12-rebound performance.

Purdue Northwest returns to action Saturday with a  road contest at No. 16 Cardinal Stritch in Milwaukee, Wis.