Pride Fall Short Against Host Tiffin at Thanksgiving Tournament
TIFFIN, OHIO – Despite another 20-point effort from Dean Tate, The Purdue Northwest men’s basketball team came up short against the Tiffin Dragons in the championship game of the Tiffin University Thanksgiving Tournament.
The game was back and forth early, as the Dragons crashed the glass aggressively, but also provided PNW with chances by committing seven team fouls at the second media timeout.Chase Rankin had a pair of early steals leading to runout fastbreaks for the Pride, who continued to capitalize on points off turnovers in the first half. The Pride also filled up the hustle stats as they drew multiple charges in the first period.
After Rich Robertson tied the game at 22 with a lay-up, Tiffin went on a 7-0 run punctuated by a Austin Adams 3-pointer forcing a timeout. Tiffin continued to attack the basket and took a six-point lead into the half.
A bucket from Durante Lee brought the Black and Gold within five, but Tiffin went on an 11-0 run to take a commanding lead they would not relinquish for the remainder of the game. The Dragons captured their own tournament, winning by a final of 95-83. Tate The starting frontcourt combination of Lee and Anthony Barnard put up a combined 29 points and 17 rebounds were a bright spot for PNW, and Barnard’s 14 and 10 registers the first double-double of the season for a Pride player.
Senior Austin Adams was the star of the day for the Dragons, as he had 29 points and eight rebounds. Turnovers were a major issue for the Pride, as they had a season-high 22. PNW also had issues all day defending in transition, as the Dragons earned 30 fast break points to the Black and Gold’s nine.
Head Coach Boomer Roberts
“Tiffin’s experience showed tonight, as their juniors and seniors made plays in a couple three-minute spurts, and we didn’t match their execution on either end in those moments. I’m happy with our growth in the toughness category, as we battled on the glass with a much bigger team. So far this  year, we’ve shot the ball well and taken care of it, but our 22 turnovers and poor shooting from 3 showed us we have to keep our focus at a higher level for longer periods. Despite the tough loss, we believe we’re moving in the right direction.”
The Pride will head home as they get set to open up GLIAC conference play this Thursday, Nov. 29 against Davenport at 7 pm (CST) from the Westville Campus (DSSAC).​