SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. – The Purdue Northwest women's basketball team suffered a 60-58 setback to Lake Superior State in league play Saturday afternoon.
PNW dropped to 0-3 on the season after its second straight two-point defeat, while LSSU earned its first win to move to 1-2 overall.
STAT LEADERS
Savaya Brockington recorded a season-high 19 points including 17 after halftime with the hot hand late in the game. Brockington scored 11 of PNW's 15 points in the fourth quarter, and the sophomore accounted for eight of the team's 10 combined made field goals over the final two periods.
Senior
Danielle Nennig led the early scoring effort with eight points in the first quarter. She was the only other Pride player in double figures with 14 points, three rebounds, one assist and one steal.
Molly DeValkenaere,
Anjel Galbraith and Brockington each tallied a team-high five rebounds.
LSSU's Mattison Rayman led all scorers with a game-high 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting. Sadie DeWildt added 11 points, six assists and five boards for the Lakers.
SUMMARY
PNW raced out to a 10-0 lead to start the game and led most of the way until a late LSSU run.
The Pride led by two at halftime, 30-28, and pulled out in front by as much as nine in the second quarter.
Kennedy Jackson's three to open the second period sparked a 7-0 run as a
Mercedes Simmons layup put PNW in front, 23-14, with 6:25 until the break.
Coming out of halftime, LSSU outscored PNW 14-13 in the third quarter, getting to within a point, as the Pride led 43-42 moving to the fourth. There were four lead changes alone in the third quarter.
PNW got off to another fast start with a 7-3 run to begin the final quarter. Nennig's free throws with 7:35 left in the game made the score 50-44 in PNW's favor.
However, the Lakers caught fire in the final stanza and would not go quietly. The hosts shot 8 for 13 (62%) from the field with seven assists in the fourth, and eventually regained the lead 54-53 on seven consecutive points scored by Rayman.
Brockington countered with a trey and the teams ended up tied at 56-56 with two-and-half minutes to go, but a turnover and a couple missed shots on the final possessions doomed PNW.
KEY TEAM STAT
PNW registered a 26-22 advantage in rebounding while only surrendering one offensive board to the Lakers. The Pride hauled eight offensive boards, outscoring the Lakers 14-3 in second-chance points.
NEXT UP
These two teams play again tomorrow afternoon with a 1 p.m. EST/Noon CST tipoff. PNW will return home next weekend for a two-game series against Davenport on Friday and Saturday.
