PNW Women Finish Season with Tough 60-57 Road Loss to Lake Superior State
Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. – Despite a game-high 16 points by senior Ellie Michalski (Mukwonago, Wis./Mukwonago), the Purdue Northwest women’s basketball team could not complete a fourth-quarter rally and fell 60-57 to Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) foe Lake Superior State University in the regular season finale Saturday at Bud Cooper Gymnasium in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. After leading each of the first three quarters, the Pride fell behind by nine points, 48-39, in the fourth quarter, but came on strong in the closing minutes to rally back and set up an exciting finish.
Sophomore Shae Rhonehouse (Fremont, Ind./Fremont) also scored in double figures Saturday for PNW with 10 points, while freshmen Taylor Vauters (Rockville, Ind./Riverton Parke) and Danielle Nennig (Wrightstown, Wis./Wrightstown) each chipped in nine points.
The Pride got off to a solid start with Rhonehouse hitting a three-pointer in the opening minutes to put the visitors on the scoreboard first. PNW stayed in front throughout the opening quarter taking a 13-7 lead late in the frame on a jumper by sophomore Skylar Ostrowski (Dekalb, Ind./Dekalb). A three-point play by Michalski on the first possession of the second quarter extended Purdue Northwest’s advantage to eight, 16-8. It also sparked a 9-2 run to open the period pushing the Pride’s lead up even further at 22-10.
Leading 27-18 at the half, PNW kept the pressure on early in the third quarter following three-pointers by senior Jessica Kiser (Noblesville, Ind./Noblesville) and Rhonehouse to go ahead, 33-20. However, the Lakers closed out the period with a 15-4 run to draw within two, 37-35, heading into the fourth quarter. LSSU carried that momentum into the final period scoring the first seven points to take its first lead and go up, 42-37.
The Pride got within four, 50-46, following a three-pointer by Nennig with 3:10 left to play in regulation and then cut the lead to two, 52-50, on a lay-up by Michalski with 1:56 remaining. A free throw by Michalski less than a minute later made it a one-point game, but the Lakers answered with a lay-up to go back up by three, 54-51, at the 1:08 mark. Nennig hit another three in the closing seconds to bring PNW within a point again, but LSSU made enough of its free throws to prevent the rally.
Purdue Northwest finishes its 2017-18 season with a 4-21 overall record and its first season in the GLIAC with a 3-17 conference mark. The Pride ranked 11th in the 12-team conference in the final regular season standings.