The Purdue Northwest Men's Basketball team fell just short once again as their efforts couldn't get them past #19 Lake Superior State in GLIAC play on Saturday afternoon, 72-64.

The Basics

• Records: Purdue Northwest (6-21,3-15 GLIAC), #19 Lake Superior State (23-5,14-4 GLIAC)
• Location: James Norris Center - Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
• Attendance: 378

Inside The Numbers

• Senior Dalton Gayman (Nevada, Mo./Nevada) notched a double-double to lead the Pride with a game-high 20 points going 8-of-10 from the field while grabbing 12 rebounds.
• Junior Collin Albert (Cleveland, Ohio/Lutheran Highschool East) tallied 13 points.
• Freshman Will Ashford (Aurora, Ill./Metea Valley) chipped in 12 points and six rebounds during the game.
• As a team, the Pride ended the game shooting 25-of-55 (45.5%) from the floor and went 5-of-16 (31.3%) from the three-point line. The team also recorded eight assists with five steals and three blocks on the defensive side.
• Hunter Soper led Lake Superior State with a 16 points and grabbed eight boards.
• As a team, the Lakers finished the contest going 23-of-58 (39.7%) from the field and shot 10-of-33 (30.3%) from behind the arc. They recorded 14 assists and seven steals with one block.

The Breakdown

• Both teams saw a cold shooting half with each squad not connecting on shots. The first half was a low scoring affair as the Pride held a slim 23-20 lead going into halftime.
• The second half was a much different story and both teams having stronger shooting percentages from the field.
• The Lakers came out strong in the second half with a 15-3 run to take a 35-26 lead with less then 16 minutes left.
• The Pride counters with a run of their own to cut the deficit to 42-41 with 12 minutes remaining in the tight game.
• Both teams traded shots in the next few minutes and Purdue Northwest grabbed the lead 51-49 with seven minutes left in the contest.
• Lake Superior State regained the lead going up 54-53 in the next few minutes.
• With the Pride down 56-55, the Lakers went on to tally a 12-4 run to take a strong 68-59 advantage with a minute remaining.
• Purdue Northwest tried to come back in the final moments but too late in the end as the Pride fell after giving strong efforts in the game, 72-64.
• The Lakers held a slim advantage in rebounding, 36-34.

Post-Game Quote from Head Coach Boomer Roberts:
"I'm really proud of our competitive spirit today, responding on the road against a legit national contender after a tough Thursday night. We had a one-point lead with five minutes to go, and had a good chance to win. Unfortunately, they banged a couple huge contested shots, and we put them at the free throw line a few too many times."

"Dalton had a monster game, and Will continues to show why I love coaching him. Jailen and CA's box scores didn't show the impact they had, but each of them were competing at the level needed."

Up Next

• Purdue Northwest now return to home action for the final two games of the regular season when they host Michigan Tech on Thursday, February 27. Tip-off is set for 7:00 PM at John Friend Court in Hammond, Indiana.