The Purdue Northwest Men's Basketball team saw its season come to a heartbreaking end Wednesday night, falling in overtime to Lake Superior State Lakers, 93-91, in the GLIAC Tournament Quarterfinal at the James Norris Center.

The Basics

• Records: Purdue Northwest (14-14, 10-10 GLIAC), Lake Superior State (19-11, 12-8 GLIAC)
• Location: James Norris Center – Sault Ste. Marie
• Attendance: 433

Inside The Numbers

• Purdue Northwest shot 33-of-57 (57.9%) from the field, 5-of-19 (26.3%) from three-point range, and 20-of-23 (87.0%) at the free-throw line.
• Lake Superior State finished 31-of-65 (47.7%) overall, 14-of-30 (46.7%) from beyond the arc, and 17-of-23 (73.9%) at the stripe.
• The Pride held a 35-28 rebounding advantage, including nine offensive rebounds.
• Purdue Northwest totaled 56 points in the paint and 13 points off turnovers.
• Lake Superior State countered with 17 second-chance points and 17 fast-break points.
• Senior Kyle Ross (Saint John, Ind./Lake Central) led Purdue Northwest with 27 points on 11-of-17 shooting while adding 11 rebounds.
• Graduate student Kevin Taylor (Acworth, Ga./Allatoona) followed with 25 points and eight rebounds, going a perfect 7-of-7 at the free-throw line.
• Sophomore Ahlante Askew (Republic, Mo./Republic) added 14 points, while freshman Garrett Clark (Portage, Ind./Portage) chipped in 12 points with two three-pointers.
• Omar Suleiman paced Lake Superior State with 44 points, knocking down 10-of-13 from three-point range and a perfect 10-of-10 at the free-throw line.
• Karter Richards contributed 12 points for the Lakers.

The Breakdown

• The quarterfinal matchup featured 11 ties and 15 lead changes, living up to its postseason billing from the opening tip. Lake Superior State used hot perimeter shooting to take a 44-42 edge into halftime, connecting on seven first-half three-pointers.
• Purdue Northwest answered in the second half behind its efficient interior offense. The Pride shot 55.2 percent from the field after the break and were perfect at the free-throw line, finishing 9-of-9 in the second half. Ross and Taylor powered the offense inside, helping PNW build a narrow lead in the closing minutes.
• Lake Superior State responded with timely three-point shooting, including key makes from Suleiman down the stretch to force overtime with the score knotted after 40 minutes.
• In the extra period, both teams traded baskets as the tension mounted. The Pride shot 3-of-5 from the floor in overtime, but the Lakers connected on two critical three-pointers and edged ahead in the final moments. A last possession opportunity for Purdue Northwest came up just short, sealing the 93-91 decision.

As the season ends, the PNW men's basketball finished with the most wins in a season since joining NCAA Division II and the most GLIAC wins in a season while earning the fifth seed which was the highest finish in the GLIAC for the program. All these notables happened under first-year head coach Jordan Ashton as he looks to continue to momentum into next season.