Women’s Basketball Picks Up Road Victory Saturday Against UIS
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Purdue University Northwest women’s basketball team (2-3) had total control all game long as the Pride went on the road and defeated Illinois Springfield (1-3) at the Recreation and Fitness Center on Saturday.
Freshman Molly DeValkenere (Milwaukee, Wis./Brookfield) led the way with her near double-double, scoring 18 points on 6-7 shooting including a perfect 3-3 from behind the arc, grabbing nine rebounds and blocking three shots. Freshman Kelli Damman (Fort Wayne, Ind./Carroll) provided a huge spark off the bench for the Pride, scoring 12 points.
Sophomore Danielle Nennig (Wrightstown, Wis./Wrightstown) had 10 points and Shae Rhonehouse (Fremont, Ind./Fremont) also added 10 points in the victory.
After UIS led 4-3 with 7:22 in the 1st quarter, PNW took control the rest of the game and never trailed the rest of the way.
The Pride went on a 17-5 run to end the opening quarter after a Shae Rhonehouse (Fremont, Ind./Fremont) jumper gave PNW a 20-9 lead.
Right before the half, UIS cut it to 30-26 with 1:48 left but that was the closest they got as back-to-back triples by Danielle Nennig (Wrightstown, Wis./Wrightstown) and Kelli Damman (Fort Wayne, Ind./Carroll) gave PNW a 36-28 advantage at the break.
Damman gave PNW their largest lead of the game 53-33 with her trifecta with 5:15 left in the third quarter while Vauters put the Pride ahead by 20 again with her layup.
UIS would have any comeback effort cut short by the Pride, as PNW went on to defeat the Prairie Stars for the second time this season.
PNW returns to action Thursday, November 29 as the Pride host Davenport inside the H.D. Kesling Gymnasium at the James B. Dworkin Student Services and Activities Complex on the Westville campus starting at 5 p.m. CT.
