Purdue University Calumet’s Ryan Rader scored 18 points and Noah Allen added 14 points in a 73-58 men’s basketball nonleague loss to Asbury University in Friday’s opening game of the Ness Bros. Hall of Fame Tournament.
The Peregrines (1-2) will face the loser of host Huntington and Ohio Christian in a 1 p.m. matchup at the Foresters’ Platt Arena.
Rader (Lombard, Ill./Willowbrook) shot a blistering 6-of-8 (75 percent) from the field, including 6-of-9 from the free throw line in addition to eight rebounds. Allen (Flora, Ind./Carroll), a senior point guard, added four boards and four assists, while sophomore Danny Paschen (Schererville, Ind./Lake Central) led the way on the glass with 11 rebounds.
The Eagles (5-0) pulled away in the second half, as Asbury led by just three, 26-23, at the break. Junior Andis Malahovskis (Cesis, Latvia/Cesis City) opened the game’s scoring at the 19-minute mark with an inside bucket via an assist from senior Aaron Davis (Peroria, Ill./Richwoods). The Peregrines would lead by as many as six (14-8) with just under 13 minutes to play in the first half, aided by eight points by Rader.
But two Kyle Lamb trifectas would help Asbury go on a 8-3 run over the next five minutes to cut the lead to one, 17-16, before a Lamb three-point play and two Tyler Smith free throws helped the visitors take a slim lead at the break. The Eagles shot just 29 percent (9-for-31) in the first half, compared to 41 percent (10-for-24) for the Peregrines.
Three straight triples by Lamb, Jordan Gilbert and CJ Penny helped the Eagles build a 16-point lead to start the second half, as Asbury outscored the Peregrines 20-7 in the first seven minutes. Allen and Davis (seven points, four assists) helped kickstart a 15-7 run down the stretch to bring Purdue Calumet within eight (59-51) with 4:49 left on the clock, but that’s as close as the Peregrines would get.
Asbury forced Purdue Calumet into 22 turnovers for the game, including 13 in the second half. The rebounding battled was fairly even with the Eagles holding a 39-33 advantage, but Asbury’s 15 offensive boards contributed to a 22-0 margin in second-chance points.
Purdue Calumet finished the game with a 51.1 percent (23-for-45) clip from the field compared to 35.4 percent (23-for-65) for the Eagles, who went 7 of 19 (36.8 percent) from behind the arc. The Peregrines were held scoreless from 3, shooting 0 of 13.
Senior Kaspars Brencans (Riga, Latvia/Florida Air Academy) added eight points (4 of 7), four rebounds and two steals and Malahovskis had six points and four assists.
Purdue Calumet’s next home contest is set for Wednesday, Nov. 19, in the second game of a doubleheader with the women’s team against league foe Olivet Nazarene.