DETROIT, Mich. – Senior Torrance Johnson (Chicago Heights, Ill./Chicago Hope Academy) posted games-bests of 23 points and 10 rebounds, but the Purdue Northwest men's basketball team suffered a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) road loss to Wayne State University (Mich.), 79-61, Sunday afternoon at the Matthaei Center in Detroit, Mich. 

The Warriors shot well from the field in Sunday's match-up connecting on 54 percent (32-for-59) of their total shot attempts, including 56 percent (9-for-16) of their three-point tries.        

Freshman Richard Robertson (Fort Wayne, Ind./Fort Wayne Northrup) had a solid outing as well for the Pride scoring 16 points on 6-for-9 shooting from the floor.  Sophomore Franklin Nunn (Anderson, Ind./Liberty Christian) added nine points, while junior Chris Nunn (Anderson, Ind./Liberty Christian) contributed eight points, six assists and four steals.    

Even though PNW never led in the game, Johnson helped keep the Pride within striking distance in the opening minutes of play by hitting a pair of free throws at the 15:02 mark of the first half to draw his team within one, 9-8.  A three-pointer by Robertson near the 11-minute mark again brought Purdue Northwest within a point as well, 17-16.  

However, the Warriors used a 15-5 run over the game's next six minutes to push their lead into double digits, 32-21.  WSU kept the pressure on over the remaining five minutes of the period and outscored the visiting Pride, 10-3, to take a 42-24 lead into halftime.  

PNW could not cut into the deficit much during the second half and Wayne State continued to extend its lead as the game wore on.  The Warriors led by as many as 29 points multiple times after halftime before the Pride made a 20-9 run over the final six minutes to close out the game on a strong note.   

Purdue Northwest (1-23 overall/1-15 GLIAC) hosts Tiffin University (Ohio) on Thursday, February 15, in a GLIAC battle at H.D. Kesling Gymnasium in the James B. Dworkin Complex in Westville, Ind.  The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. CT start and PNW Athletics also hosts its “Leo's Late Season Madness” event during the game with free food and t-shirts for students in attendance.