Purdue University Northwest

The Purdue Northwest Women's Basketball team opened its 2026-27 season on Monday evening, traveling to Illinois Springfield for its season opener before falling to the Prairie Stars, 79-64.

The Basics

• Records: Purdue Northwest (0-1, 0-0 GLIAC), Illinois Springfield (1-0, 0-0 GLVC)
• Location: The Recreation & Athletic Center – Springfield, Ill.
• Attendance: 301

Inside The Numbers

• Purdue Northwest shot 20-of-44 (45.5%) from the field, 3-of-11 (27.3%) from three-point range, and 21-of-23 (91.3%) at the free-throw line.
• Illinois Springfield finished 27-of-55 (49.1%) from the floor, 12-of-26 (46.2%) from beyond the arc, and 13-of-24 (54.2%) at the stripe.
• The Prairie Stars held a 27-25 rebounding advantage, while both teams finished with 30 points in the paint.
• Illinois Springfield held the advantage in points off turnovers, outscoring the Lions 38-17, and added 17 fast break points compared to seven for PNW.
• Purdue Northwest's bench contributed 26 points, while Illinois Springfield received 20 points from its reserves.
• Junior Jayda Scorza (Sanford, Fla./Lake Mary) led the Lions with 13 points, shooting a perfect 4-of-4 from the field, 1-of-1 from three-point range, and 4-of-4 at the free-throw line.
• Freshman Aaliyeh Martin (Tacoma, Wash./Annie Wright) added 12 points, four assists and two steals in her season debut.
• Junior Michaela Guest (Newark, N.J./University) chipped in ten points and four rebounds off the bench, while junior Chiney Idika (Kansas City, Mo./Ruskin) contributed eight points and four rebounds.
• Freshman Elli Robak (Clarkston, Mich./Clarkston) added eight points, and junior Ciara Sims (Fort Wayne, Ind./Snider) finished with six points while going a perfect 4-of-4 at the free-throw line.
• Illinois Springfield was led by Kayla Rice's game-high 30 points, knocking down six three-pointers. Molly Knight added 11 points, while Julia Sollberger contributed eight points off the bench.

The Breakdown

• Illinois Springfield came out firing in the opening quarter, building an early advantage behind an 8-of-18 shooting performance from the field and four three-pointers. Purdue Northwest stayed within striking distance with 11 points, but the Prairie Stars carried a 20-11 lead into the second quarter.
• The Lions found their offensive rhythm in the second period, putting together their highest-scoring quarter of the evening with 22 points. PNW shot 6-of-14 from the field and converted 8-of-9 attempts at the free-throw line. Despite the offensive response, Illinois Springfield continued to find success from beyond the arc and maintained a 39-33 halftime advantage.
• The Prairie Stars extended their lead in the third quarter, outscoring the Lions 18-13. Purdue Northwest continued to shoot efficiently from the field, connecting on 4-of-8 attempts, but Illinois Springfield's perimeter shooting helped the home team take a 57-46 advantage into the final period.
• Purdue Northwest continued to battle in the fourth quarter, scoring 18 points while converting all eight of its free-throw attempts. However, Illinois Springfield answered with 22 points of its own, shooting 60 percent from the field to maintain control and secure the 79-64 season-opening victory.

• Purdue Northwest now competes in the GLIAC/GLVC Crossover starting on Friday, November 13 when they take on Hillsdale College at 5:00 PM CT. The crossover will be hosted by the University of Illinois Springfield in Springfield, Illinois.