HAMMOND, Ind. – The Purdue University Calumet women’s basketball team saw its second-half rally fall short, as No. 17 Cardinal Stritch held on for a 70-60 victory on Saturday afternoon inside the Fitness and Recreation Center. The Peregrines drop to 18-9 overall and 7-2 in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference, as their five-game winning streak in league play came to an end.
The Wolves led from the tip, as they built up a nine-point lead, 26-17, in the opening 13 minutes of the contest. PUC would cut the deficit to two, 32-30, just minutes later though, as Stephaine Beck and Brooklyn Short each knocked down a pair of trifectas. However, CSU closed the half on an 8-3 run to take a 40-33 lead into the break after Michelle Piepenburg’s jumper in the closing seconds.
Cardinal Stritch pushed its lead to double-digits in the final stanza, but the Black and Gold would fight their way back. Kami Graber helped cap off an 8-0 run by PUC, as her layup pulled the team within three, 45-42, with 12:27 remaining in the contest.
After Stritch quickly pushed the lead back to nine, another three-pointer by Beck would wrap up a 9-2 run to trim the deficit to a single possession, 55-53. The Peregrines would come up empty on two chances to tie the game though, and the Wolves would take advantage. Julie Raeder nailed a trey from the top of the key to jumpstart a 9-0 spurt late in the game. CSU would go on to ice the contest at the charity stripe to sweep the season series with Purdue Calumet.
Cardinal Stritch’s size created problems for PUC throughout the game, as the Wolves posted a 47-29 advantage on the glass and poured in 34 points in the paint. The Peregrines shot just 28.7 percent from the field in the second half to finish with a 33.9 field goal percentage. Purdue Calumet shot well from downtown, knocking down 10-of-22 from deep on the afternoon.
Beck led all scorers with 18 points, finishing with 4-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc. Graber tallied 13 points and two steals, while Alex Starr added 11 points on the day. Amanda Gaskin notched eight points, six rebounds and a pair of assists and steals.
Purdue Calumet will be back in action next Saturday, February 11, when it hosts Trinity International at the Fitness and Recreation Center. The Peregrines will look to sweep the season series with TIU, when the action tips-off at 1 p.m.
