Three Players Have Big Night for Purdue Northwest Women in 88-80 Loss

Three Players Have Big Night for Purdue Northwest Women in 88-80 Loss

Rolla, Mo. – Despite big nights offensively by freshman guard Lanie Allen (East Noble, Ind./East Noble), sophomore guard Shae Rhonehouse (Fremont, Ind./Fremont) and senior forward Jessica Kiser (Noblesville, Ind./Noblesville), the Purdue Northwest women’s basketball team fell 88-80 to tournament host Missouri S & T Saturday evening in the final game of the Lady Miner Classic at Billy Key Court in Rolla, Mo.  Allen led the Pride with 23 points, while Rhonehouse added 21 points in the tough road loss.

Kiser had a nice game for PNW as well with 18 points and team-leading six rebounds.  Allen shot an impressive 8-for-12 from the floor in the game, while Kiser also shot well converting on six of her 12 field goal attempts.  Rhonehouse hit a game-best four three-pointers Saturday.  The Miners were tough offensively hitting 52 percent (34-for-65) of their shot attempts in the game.

After Missouri S & T jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead on a pair of early lay-ups, Kiser sank a three-pointer and Allen followed it with a lay-up to give Purdue Northwest the 5-4 lead.  However, MST went on a tear closing out the quarter on a 16-5 run to take a 20-10 lead into the second quarter.  PNW opened the second quarter with a run of its own trimming the deficit to three, 22-19, on a three-pointer by Allen with 6:26 remaining in the second quarter.  A pair of free throws by junior guard Michaela Kikendall (Morristown, Ind./Morristown) brought the Pride within a point, 39-38, with just over a minute to play in the half, but a lay-up in the closing minute gave the Miners a 41-38 halftime advantage. 

A three-pointer by freshman guard Danielle Nennig (Wrightstown, Wis./Wrightstown) near the midpoint of the third quarter gave Purdue Northwest the 50-49 edge, its first lead since the opening quarter.  However, a late surge in the final minute of the third quarter gave Missouri S & T a 67-61 lead heading into the fourth quarter.  A pair of three-pointers by Rhonehouse early in the final period kept PNW within five (72-67), but the Miners kept the pressure on converting on four straight free throws to build their lead back up to seven, 76-69, with six minutes left to play.  PNW cut it to four on a three-point play by Allen, but that was as close as it got the rest of the way as MST pushed its lead back up to 10 before securing the eight-point victory.    

Purdue Northwest (0-2 overall) continues non-conference play on Wednesday, November 22, with a road game against Lewis University (Ill.).  The game is scheduled for a 1 p.m. CT start at Neil Carey Arena in Romeoville, Ill.