#11 Purdue Calumet Pulls Off Comeback Win over Indiana Tech
Behind a third-quarter surge, the No. 11 Purdue University Calumet women’s basketball team came from behind to top visiting Indiana Institute of Technology, 69-64, Tuesday night at the Fitness and Recreation Center.
Peregrines junior Darien Thompson (Anderson, Ind./Anderson) led all scorers with 21 points on 5-for-14 shooting and added eight rebounds, three steals, and two assists. She made her biggest two buckets in the final seconds, as she calmly drained two free throws with 1.4 seconds left on the clock.
Junior Cassidy Deno (Otterbein, Ind./Benton Central) added 17 points — 13 in the second half — and junior Dariyan Morris (Merrillville, Ind./Merrillville) had 12 points for the Peregrines (1-0), who trailed 32-25 at the break. Deno was a big reason why the Peregrines were able to get back in it, as she led the host on a 19-9 run in the third frame behind three baskets for seven points.
Up three, 44-41, heading in to the fourth quarter, Purdue Calumet led by as many as 11 on Deno’s triple at the 6:11 mark, but Indiana Tech (0-1) came storming with a 17-8 run in the final five minutes to tie the game at 62-all with 2:30 remaining. Deno made another big shot seconds later, as she stalled a 7-0 run by the Warriors with a clutch triple from the wing to give the Peregrines a three-point advantage.
A Katie Wampler (Scottsburg, Ind./Scottsburg) steal led to a Morris layup to push the lead to five, 67-62, with 1:38 left, but IT’s Taylor Carver would hit a basket inside to cut it back to three, 67-64. Indiana Tech got the ball back with 13 seconds to play, but stingy defense on the perimeter forced the Warriors to turn it over and set up Thompson for the game-winning free-throws.
Wampler and Thompson both had eight rebounds to lead the Peregrines on the boards, as they out rebounded the Warriors, 42-33. Purdue Calumet shot 40.4 percent (23-for-57) for the game compared to 42.4 percent (25-for-59) for Indiana Tech, who turned it over 17 times compared to 19 for the Peregrines.
Purdue Calumet was nearly perfect from the free-throw line, making 19 of 22 attempts (86.4 percent).
IT’s Kendall Knapke scored 17 points, Carver had 13 points and eight boards and Rayana Villalpando had 12 points for the Warriors in the loss.
Purdue Calumet returns to action Friday, when the Peregrines host No. 5 Indiana Wesleyan in a 4 p.m. Contest on the first day of the annual Tip-Off Classic, set for Friday and Saturday at the Fitness and Recreation Center. The Peregrines will face off with (RV) Cornerstone Saturday at 2 p.m.
Purdue Calumet Falls at Trinity Christian, 3-0
The Purdue University Calumet volleyball team fell to Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference opponent Trinity Christian College in straight sets Tuesday night.
The Peregrines (11-21, 5-13 CCAC) lost in three sets (25-15, 25-23, 25-19) to the Trolls (19-16, 15-3) at the Trinity Athletics and Recreation Complex.
After a pair of service aces by Kylie Tincher (Sellersburg, Ind./Rock Creek Academy) early on in the first set gave the Peregrines a 6-3 lead, Trinity Christian would go on an 8-1 run, to put the Trolls up 11-7.
The Peregrines would get within two points on a kill by Jenna Pasko (Lansing, Ill./T.F. South), but the Trolls would gain control for the remainder of the set and win 25-15.
TCC would take a 13-10 lead in the second set, but the Black and Gold would eventually even the set at 14-14 thanks to some miscues by the Trolls.
Both teams would trade points for the rest of Set 2, until a kill by Kacie Stoll won the second set for the trolls 25-23.
The Peregrines would fight with Trinity Christian for all of Set 3, but the Trolls would come away with a 25-19 win to give them the 3-0 victory.
Purdue Calumet was led by Gabrielle Martin (DeMotte, Ind./Kankakee Valley) and Pasko who each led the team with eight kills.
Senior libero Samantha Basar (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North) notched a team-high 12 digs while setter Carley Bartolini (Portage, Ind./Chesterton) recorded 25 assists to round out the Peregrine leaders.
The Black and Gold return to action on Thursday, Nov. 5, for their final regular season match at the Fitness and Recreation Center against IU South Bend at 7:00 p.m. CT.