HAMMOND, Ind. - - The Purdue University Men's Basketball team finished off an exciting Kids Day at the Hammond Fitness and Recreational Center by hosting the Quincy University Eagles on Saturday. In a chippy game that was led by big performances by their upperclassmen, including Xavier Hallinan (Portland, Ore.), Franklin Nunn (Anderson, Ind./Liberty Christian) and Jyrus Freels (Evansville, Ind.), the Pride beat the Eagles 75-68.

Freels finished with a team-high 14 points and tied for team-highs with six rebounds and 30 minutes played. Hallinan recorded his season-highs with 13 points and four steals, the steals leading the team on the evening. Nunn used his athleticism and motor on both ends of the floor all game long, collecting his season-highs of nine points, six rebounds and three steals in 26 minutes of action.

"Our guys really locked in defensively tonight, and made it a priority to get stops," said Head Coach Boomer Roberts. They ran good actions, and to hold them to 37% from the field is a testament to their focus. We were up and down offensively, but made a lot of winning plays when we needed to, and got contributions from everyone who stepped on the floor. Franklin Nunn and Durante Lee were terrific on defense, and our lead guards made a bunch of plays on both ends."

The Pride led for most of the game, including a 15-point lead in the first half, but had to withstand a late run by the Eagles. After a three-pointer by Quincy that cut their deficit to 64-60 with 3:33 remaining in the game, a flagrant 1 foul was called against Quincy on the rebound, allowing Chandler Spring (Covington, Ind./Covington) to bury two free-throws to put away the Eagles for good. Spring finished with nine points himself, including a perfect 7-7 from the charity stripe.

PNW outscored Quincy in bench points (27-24) and fast-break points (16-10) in the game. The Pride showcased a balanced offense in the first half, as they led 42-30 by halftime. Freels led with eight points and six rebounds. Spring scored seven on 5-5 from the free-throw line, and Jordan Doss (Chicago, Ill.) had six points. PNW was 5-14 from the three-point line in the half, 9-11 from the free-throw line and out-rebound the Eagles 22-18.
 
"We're hungry for more, but it is exciting to see how our guys continue to progress and believe in each other," Roberts said.

PNW Men's Basketball next travels to Carson, California on Tuesday, November 26, where they will be taking on Dominican University of California. Tip-off is set for 12 p.m.