Purdue North Central freshman Marcus Isaac was named to the CCAC's All-Conference team for the 2008-09 season.

Isaac led the Panthers at 13.9 points per game while connecting on 45% of his field goal attempts and 39% of his three-point shots. From the guard position Isaac finished second on the team in rebounds ( 4.1 pg) and blocks (8) and was third in steals at 25.

The Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Division II co-champions Cardinal Stritch University, Judson University and Trinity Christian College collected the most spots on the 2008-09 all-conference squads with four representatives each when the honors were announced by the league office this morning.

Cardinal Stritch and Trinity Christian each boasted three players on the first team and one honorable mention selection with Judson garnering two spots on the first team and two honorable mention choices.

The former two schools also had each of their coaches recognized with Cardinal Stritch's Denny Fox and Trinity Christian's Tim Walker sharing coach of the year honors.

Each of the other four members in the league - Calumet College St. Joseph, Purdue University Calumet, Purdue University North Central and Trinity International University - all posted one representative on the first team with Calumet St. Joseph and Trinity International also having one honorable mention pick.

Trinity Christian's Kurt Gruppen (Zeeland, Mich.) was named the CCAC Player of the Year. Including all games, the 6-3 senior forward led the league in scoring (21.4 points per game), three-point field goal percentage (.516) and three-pointers made per game (3.59), while ranking third in total field goal percentage (.545) in 27 games played. In conference games only, he topped the charts in three-pointers made per game (3.08), was second in three-point field goal percentage (.474), tied for second in scoring (19.9 ppg) and averaged 5.0 rebounds per game.

Judson's Landon Skinner (Plano, Tex.) earned CCAC Freshman of the Year honors. A 6-2 freshman guard, Skinner ranked among the top eight players in the league in eight categories in total games played and another five categories in league games only. Among his top marks in overall games played were his scoring (19.1), assist (3.43) and steal (1.73) averages, all of which ranked third best. In conference games only, he averaged 14.9 points and 2.0 steals per game and shot .392 from three-point range, all of which were fifth-best in the league.

Below is a list of all honors for the 2008-09 season:

All Conference Team

All-Conference Honorable Mention

The Purdue North Central Basketball team was defeated 92-72 by Judson University Monday night in Elgin, IL in the first round of the CCAC Tournament. The first round setback concludes the Panthers season at 4-27.

Judson, the co-conference champion with Cardinal Stritch and Trinity Christian with a 10-2 conference record, moved to 21-10 overall. The Eagles also tied a school record with its ninth straight win. Cardinal Stritch earned the first round bye due to tiebreakers.

The Panthers fell behind 49-38 at the half and cut the lead to single digits before Judson took control of the game with a run near the 10 minute mark.

Junior J.F. Ndomb led PNC with 19 points while freshman Marcus Isaac contributed 14 points. DeWayne Robinson led the Eagles with 21 points and Ben Rayhorn added 20 points, including three of five shooting from beyond the arc. Landon Skinner made 7 of 12 field goals, including two treys and Josh Weber chipped in 12 points for Judson.

Overall, PNC connected on a respectable 44% of their shots (24 of 54) and made 7 of 23 three-pointers and 17 of 24 free throws. However, Judson countered with 63% shooting (31 of 49) while connecting on 5 of 13 three-pointers and 25 of 31 free throws. The Eagles also dominated the boards with a 34-20 margin.

Judson will advance to the second round Wednesday night with the opponent and site to be determined.

The Purdue North Central basketball team ran their winning streak to two with a 73-60 victory over Purdue Calumet Saturday afternoon in Michigan City. The Panthers improved to 4-26 overall and 1-11 in the CCAC while picking up their first conference win in two years. The Peregrines fell to 3-25 and 3-9.

The Peregrines controlled the first half of the game and went ahead 10-0. Just when it looked like PUC was going to pitch a shutout the Panthers responded with a run and finished out the half trailing 36-30.

The second half was a different story as the Panthers dominated the action and outscored the Peregrines 43-24. PNC led by 17 points at one point as they wore down the undermanned Peregrines who suited just eight players.

Junior J.F. Ndomb led PNC with 22 points and 7 rebounds while freshman Marcus Isaac added 18 points and six rebounds. Sophomore D. J. Green contributed 13 points and six rebounds.

Robert Williams led Purdue Calumet with 17 points and Antonio McNeal added 15 points. Antonio Hurt led the Peregrines with seven rebounds.

Overall, PNC finished 25 of 65 (39%) from the floor including 10 of 32 on three-pointers and 13 of 19 from the charity stripe. PUC was 21 of 48 (44%), 2 of 10 and 16 of 21 respectively. The Peregrines edged the Panthers on the boards 36-35 but committed 18 turnovers compared to 10 for PNC.

Both teams will enter the CCAC Tournament this Monday with opponents, sites and times to be announced.

The Purdue North Central Basketball team picked up a much needed 58-50 victory over Moody Bible Institute (11-10) Thursday night at home. The win is the Panthers third on the season and their first in 21 games. PNC is 3-26 overall and 0-11 in CCAC competition.

PNC jumped out to an early lead against the Moody Bible Institute zone defense, connecting on 48% of their first half field goal attempts. The Panthers took a 32-20 lead into the break.

The second half PNC was outscored 30-26, but the Moody Bible comeback was too little too late as the Panthers hit free throws down the stretch to hold on for the victory.

The second half comeback was sparked by Moody Bible Institute's Jason LaLonde who had 25 points including 5 three pointers. LaLonde was the only Archer in double figures for the game, while guard James Bolin contributed 8 rebounds and 5 assists.

Leading the balanced scoring attack for PNC was Marcus Isaac who had 16 points and a game high 9 rebounds. DJ Green poured in 12 points and pulled down 8 rebounds. JF Ndomb rounded out the double digit scorers with 10 points.

The Panthers will play their final home game of the season on Saturday, February 21 at 2:00 p.m. The game is Senior Day for the Panthers.

The Panthers traveled to Milwaukee, WI Saturday to play CCAC opponent Cardinal Stritch University. The host Wolves prevailed 63-60 as the Panthers took their opponent right down to the wire for the second consecutive game. Cardinal Stritch gained their 9th conference win, giving them an impressive 9-2 CCAC record and a 19-7 mark overall. The loss dropped the Panthers to 0-11 in the CCAC and 2-26 on the season.

Marcus Isaac and Ryan Chambers scored two buckets each in the first seven minutes of the game to give PNC an 8-3 lead with 13 minutes to go in the first half. The Wolves fought their way back and used a 17-2 run to grab the largest lead of the half at 20-10 with six minutes remaining. Panther guard Hugh Howard hit a jumper to bring the Panthers within one at 26-25 where it would remain at halftime.

The second half was much like the first as the two teams went back and forth for much of the game. An Isaac steal and assist to Nick Sweet gave the Panthers a 60-58 lead with 3:12 left to play in the game. Cardinal Stritch guard Kody Braddix put the Panthers away scoring 4 points down the stretch to give the Wolves a 63-60 victory.

Braddix finished the game with 10 points for the Wolves while teammate Trey Triplett scored 15 and shot 18 free throws on the game.

Isaac led all scorers in the game with 17 points, while Panther forward JF Ndome contributed 11 points and 7 rebounds. Chambers also grabbed 7 boards.

The Panthers will close out the season with two home games against Moody Bible Institute Thursday, Febrauary 19 at 7:00 p.m. and Purdue University Calumet Saturday February 21 at 2:00 p.m.

The PNC basketball team could not hold on to an 11 point halftime lead Wednesday night as they fell in overtime 78-76 to Trinity International University (Deerfield, IL) at the Scholl Center. The loss dropped the Panthers to 2-25 and leaves them winless in the CCAC at 0-10. Trinity International improved to 4-5 in conference play at 5-22 overall.

The first half was all Panthers as they went 14-26 from the floor and 4-7 from behind the three point arc to get out to a 32-21 lead at the break.

The visiting Trojans fought their way back in the second half taking their first lead of the game at 46-45 with 6:46 left to play on a Patrick Atkins jumper. The teams finished regulation in a 62-62 tie.

PNC had a shot to tie the game in overtime down 77-74, but an Atkins steal and free throw with 4 seconds remaining put the game out of reach. Atkins finished the game with 21 points and 5 steals, while teammate Ignas Verbus added a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

The Panthers got another good offensive performance out of JF Ndomb, who led the team with 28 points and 9 rebounds. Marcus Isaac picked up the slack at the guard position with 17 points, as PNC was playing without starting guard Hugh Howard.

PNC travels to Cardinal Stritch Saturday to play the Wolves at 4 p.m. Cardinal Stritch is 8-2 in the CCAC and 18-7 overall. They won the first match-up between the two teams 82-74 at the Scholl Center.

The Panther basketball team traveled to CCAC leader Trinity Christian College (Palos Heights, IL) Saturday to visit the Trolls on their Homecoming. Trinity brought a seven game winning streak into the game and kept it in tact as they downed the Panthers 83-65. The win boosts the Trolls to 18-6 overall and an impressive 8-1 in CCAC action. PNC drops to 2-24 on the season and 0-9 in the conference.

Kurt Gruppen got hot early for the Trolls, connecting on 5 of 6 three pointers on his way to 25 first half points. Although the Panthers battled for much of the first half, a 10-2 run put the visitors down 16 points. Trinity Christian took a 42-31 lead into the break.

Gruppen connected on 4 more second half three point attempts, giving him 9 for the game. His 39 total points were a season high and his 9 three pointers were the most ever in a single game by a Troll.

Panther forward JF Ndomb also hit a season-high in points, pouring in 25 points for PNC on 9-10 shooting from the field. Ndomb also brought down 7 rebounds in 27 minutes of action. Freshman guard Marcus Isaac scored 17 points including 3 of 4 three pointers.

PNC will return home Wednesday, February 11 to take on Trinity International University at 7 p.m. in the Scholl Center. The visiting Trojans are 4-22 on the season and 3-5 in CCAC play.

The PNC basketball team took one of its best games of the season Thursday night to Judson University (Elgin, IL), giving the host Eagles all they could handle before eventually falling 85-68. The win improves the Eagles to 15-10 and 6-2 in CCAC action. The Panthers are now 2-24 and winless in CCAC games (0-9).

The first half featured six tie scores and five lead changes before the Eagles closed out the final 4:11 on a 13-5 run to take a 40-32 lead into halftime. The Panther bench outscored the hosts 17-13 in the first half, but Judson took advantage of 20 first half points in the paint compared to PNC's 6.

It looked like Judson would pull away in the second half, jumping out to a 46-35 lead before the Panthers clawed their way back into the game, cutting the lead to 57-56 with 10:51 left in the game on a Shawn Martin three-pointer. The game was all Judson from there on out as the Eagles pushed their lead to 20 points with 3:37 in the game.

Judson boasted 4 players in double figures, led by 3-time CCAC Player of the Week Dewayne Robinson's 24 points and 8 rebounds. Josh Edwards contributed 13 points and a game-high 6 assists.

D.J. Green led all Panther scorers with 15 points to go along with 5 assists. Nick Sweet pitched in 12 points on 4 three-pointers.

The Panthers will travel to Palos Heights, IL Saturday to take on Trinity Christian College at 4 p.m. The Trolls are 17-6 overall and are on top in the CCAC with a 7-1 record.

Calumet College of St. Joseph came into the Scholl Center Saturday with a tough 4-19 record and a 2-4 mark in CCAC action. But the Crimson Wave capitalized on a hot shooting night en route to a 82-61 handling of the Panthers (2-22, 0-7).

The first 9 minutes of the game were all Jon Contos, as he was a perfect 6-6 from beyond the 3 points arc on his way to 18 first half points. The Panthers kept within striking distance, connecting on 40% of their three point attempts as well. The visiting Crimson Wave took a 36-25 lead into the break.

The second half saw a more balanced scoring attack for Calumet College as they used three players in double figures to expand their lead. The Panthers never got into a flow offensively against the Crimson Wave zone defense, and the visitors held on for an easy victory.

Contos led the way for Calumet College with 19 points, while Fares Saqf Alhait added 16 and Wilfredo Escobar chipped in 14.

The Panthers were led by Marcus Isaac's 19 points on 7-11 shooting. Sophomore D.J. Green was the only other player in double figures with 11 points.

The Panthers are still looking for their first conference win as they travel to Judson University in Elgin, IL Thursday. The Eagles are 14-10 on the season and 5-2 in the CCAC. Judson won the first match-up between the two teams 97-73. The tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.

The PNC Panthers traveled to Indiana University Northwest Saturday afternoon looking to knock off the host Red Hawks for the second time this season. In a game that featured all ten starters in double figures, the Red Hawks held on to win 93-81, dropping the Panthers' record to 2-20. IUN improved to 12-9 on the year.

The Red Hawks connected on 7 of 14 three point attempts in the first half, but the Panthers were able to hang around thanks to a 14-28 team field goal percentage. The Red Hawks took just a 40-37 lead into the break.

The second half featured a scorching shooting display by IUN, as they went off to the tune of a 76.2% field goal percentage. The Panthers hit 7 three pointers of their own, but the game was decided at the free throw line. The host Red Hawks shot 24-33 from the charity stripe for the game, more than doubling PNC's 11-14 free throws.

PNC starters Hugh Howard, Marcus Isaac, and DJ Green each poured in 15 points. Nick Sweet added 12 points and JF Ndomb rounded out the starting lineup with 10 points. Green also dished out a game high 8 assists.

Jesse Howell led IUN with 26 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists, while Pete Dunbar followed with 25 points on 11-12 shooting.

The Panthers will play at conference foe Purdue Calumet (1-19, 1-4) Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. in Hammond, IN.

The Purdue North Central basketball team fell 82-74 to Cardinal Stritch University (Milwaukee, WI) Wednesday evening in Michigan City. The Panthers are now 2-19 overall and 0-5 in conference play while the 29th ranked Wolves improved to 13-5 and 5-0.

PNC's effort remained status quo for the season: fall behind early in the game and then play equal to their opponent in the second half. True to form, PNC trailed 38-24 at the break but outscored the Wolves 50-44 after intermission.

Overall, Stritch finished 33 of 67 from the field, including 7 of 22 from beyond the arc and just 9 of 19 from the free throw line. The Panthers finished 26 of 63, 6 of 21 and 16 of 23 respectively. The Wolves dominated the glass 46-29 and forced 25 turnovers compared to 19 of their own.

Freshman Marcus Isaac and sophomore D.J. Green led PNC with 16 points each. Junior J.F. Ndomb added 14 points and a team high 6 rebounds while senior Hugh Howard contributed 10 points and 5 steals.

Trey Triplett led Cardinal Stritch with 23 points, including 5 of 11 from three-point territory. Brandon D'Amico added 20 points and Ian Dobbe chipped in with 14 points. Pat Barron finished two points shy of a triple-double with 8 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

The Panthers look to end their 14 game skid on Saturday when they take on IUN (9-10) at 3 p.m. in Gary, IN.

The Purdue North Central basketball team gave Trinity Christian (12-6, 2-1) all they could handle in the second half before eventually falling 65-55 Monday afternoon in Michigan City.  That loss puts the Panthers at 2-17 overall and 0-3 in the conference.

The visiting Trolls jumped out to an 8-0 lead and used a tough pressure defense to hold the Panthers to 23 points in the first half on their way to a 42-23 lead at the break. 

PNC opened up the second half on a 9-0 run to claw their way back into the game.  The Panthers got as close as six points late in the game before Trinity Christian free throws put the game just out of reach.

The Panthers were playing for the first time all season with Lake Michigan College transfer Jean-Francois Ndomb, who scored 11 points and pulled down 8 rebounds off the bench.  Senior guard Hugh Howard led the team with 14 points.

Trinity Christian got 23 points off the bench from Will Bruinsma and 13 points from guard Ross Stuursma. 

The Panthers look to regroup Wednesday night at home against Cardinal Stritch University.  The Wolves are unbeaten in CCAC play.  Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.

The PNC Basketball team traveled to Deerfield, IL Saturday evening to take on the host Trinity International Trojans as both teams looked for their first conference win.  Although the Panthers hung close the entire game, the Trojans pulled away at the end to record a 95-85 victory.  The loss dropped the Panthers to 0-3 in the CCAC and 2-17 overall.  Trinity International improved to 1-2 in conference and 3-19 overall.

Trinity led by as many as 7 points in the first half, but went into halftime up just 46-42.  The Panthers shot an impressive 64% from the field and 55% from behind the arc in the first half, led by Marcus Isaac’s 16 points.

PNC stayed hot offensively in the second half, even tying the game at 57 with 14:17 to go in the game.  However, the Trojans put together an 8-0 run behind two 3 pointers from Ignas Verbus to eventually prevail.

Isaac led all scorers with 25 points on 10 of 11 shooting, while Shawn Martin pitched in 18 points for the Panthers.

Patrick Atkins paced Trinity International with 24 points and Verbus finished with 20 points on the night.

The Panthers will make-up their home game against Trinity Christian College on Monday, January 19 at
2 p.m.  The game was originally scheduled for January 14 but was cancelled due to severe weather conditions. 

The PNC basketball team dropped their second straight CCAC game and their 11th consecutive game overall as they fell to the Judson University Eagles 97-73 Saturday afternoon in Michigan City. Judson moved to 1-1 in the CCAC and 10-9 overall, while the Panthers dropped to 2-16 and 0-2 in conference play.

Judson got out to an early lead, as a Lestan Hoskins field goal with 11:21 to go in the first half made the score 27-9 in favor of the Eagles. Behind a 63% first half field goal percentage, the Eagles built a 50-26 first half advantage.

True to form the Panthers fought back in the second half behind Hugh Howard's 17 points and 9 of 10 free throws. PNC matched Judson's 47 point second half, but the first half proved to be the difference in the 24 point loss.

Shawn Martin and D.J. Green added 15 and 12 points respectively off the bench for the Panthers.

The balanced Judson attack featured four players in double figures, led by Dewayne Robinson's 20 points on 9-14 shooting from the floor.

The Panthers will return home on Wednesday to take on the Trinity Christian College Trolls at 7 p.m. in the Scholl Center.

The Panther basketball team dropped their Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference opener to Calumet College of St. Joseph 77-63 Wednesday evening in Hammond. The loss dropped the Panthers to 2-15 overall as the Crimson Wave improved to 3-14 overall and 1-0 in the conference.

Despite shooting 20 free throws to Calumet College's 7 for the game, the Panthers could not shake a 37.5% shooting day. PNC got off to a slow start scoring just 21 points in the first half on 8 of 29 shooting from the floor. The Crimson Wave built up a 38-21 lead going into intermission.

The Panthers bounced back and outscored Calument College 42-39 in the second half, but the Crimson Wave's fast start was too much for PNC to overcome.

Purdue North Central posted three players in double figures, led by D.J. Green's 21 points and five 3 -pointers. Nick Sweet contributed 12 points and seven boards, and Hugh Howard added 11 points and six assists without a turnover.

Fares Saqf Alhait paced the Wave with 21 points, while Eli Macis added 18. John Hanselman pulled down 11 rebounds.

PNC will look to rebound at home against Judson College on Saturday at 2 p.m.

The PNC Panthers basketball team was hoping to start 2009 with a home victory against Mount Mercy College. The visiting Mustangs had other plans, as they defeated the Panthers 70-54 Saturday afternoon at the Scholl Center.

Mount Mercy capitalized on PNC's cold shooting from outside in the first half to build up a 34-22 lead at halftime. The Panthers shot just 32.3% from the field in the first half and 2 of 10 from three point range.

The second half proved friendlier to the Panthers as they connected on 50% of their shot attempts, but were not able to overcome the first half deficit.

Junior Keith Kuentsling paced the Mustangs with 15 points and 6 rebounds while Junior guard Jake Carey added 14 points and dished out 3 assists.

Sophomore guard D.J. Green was the lone Panther in double digits with 11 points to go along with his 4 rebounds. Marcus Isaac, Ryan Chambers, and Nick Bastin all contributed 8 points.

The Panthers will travel to Calumet College of St. Joseph Wednesday to take on the Crimson Wave at 7 p.m. to open up CCAC play.

The Purdue North Central basketball team was defeated 80-73 by Marygrove College Tueday afternoon in Michigan City. The Panthers lost their 8 th straight and fell to 2-13 while the Mustangs improved to 3-8.

The two teams were familiar with each other as they had squared off earlier in the season in the Hope College Tournament in Holland, MI. on Dec. 12 th . Marygrove won that game by the score of 74-70.

In the second match-up the Mustangs jumped out to an early 11 point lead in the first half. However, the Panthers responded with a solid run highlighted by tremendous three-point shooting to go up 38-31 at the break.

The Mustangs were red hot to start the second half and quickly overcame the deficit to regain the lead. But PNC made one final run and cut the lead to 75-71 with the ball with 30 seconds to go. Unfortunately, the Panthers missed a three-pointer and Marygrove executed down the stretch to secure the win.

Freshman Marcus Isaac led the Panthers with 14 points, including 10 in the first half in his first collegiate contest. Junior Ryan Chambers added 13 points and 7 rebounds while senior Hugh Howard added 9 points. Nick Roberts and Darius Kellar led the Mustangs with 16 points each while Kellar added five assists. Marcus Hopkins followed with 14, while Frank Murdock dropped in 10 points and contributed 8 rebounds.

Marygrove connected on 25 of 51 attempts overall, including 6 of 14 three-pointers and 24 of a whopping 38 free throws. PNC responded with efforts of 25 of 62, 7 of 18 and 16 of 27 respectively. The Panthers edged the Mustangs in rebounds and turnovers by 35-34 and 15 to 17 margins.

The Panthers will take some time off for the Holiday and will be back in action on Saturday, Jan. 3 rd when they host Mt. Mercy College (IA) at 2 p.m.

Sophomore Cameron Hudgins' jumper from the top of the key with two seconds in regulation fell just short and the PNC Basketball team fell just short at home, losing 70-69 to the East-West University Phantoms.

It was a tale of two halves for the Panthers, who drop to 2-12 on the season. East-West jumped out to a 52-40 lead in the first half, hitting five 3 pointers and connecting on 58.3% of their shots. But the second half defensive effort by PNC gave the Panthers a shot to win the game. The Panther defense held the Phantoms to just 18 second half points on 6-of-23 shooting from the floor. Despite having four players in double-figures, the Panthers could not pull out a win.

Freshman Shawn Martin led all Panther scorers with 15 points, while fellow freshman Marcus Issac contributed 11 points and 9 rebounds in his first game as a Panther. Senior point guard Hugh Howard dished out 5 assists and grabbed 8 boards in the losing effort.

East-West's Lavece Jones led all scorers with 20 points on 9-of-17 shooting. Teammate Brett King contributed 9 points and 8 rebounds.

The Panthers will try to avenge the loss when they take on the Marygrove College Mustangs at 2 p.m. tomorrow at home.

The Purdue North Central basketball team was defeated 93-51 to Grace Bible College (MI) Saturday afternoon in the consolation game of the Holland Sentinel Community Classic hosted by Hope College in Holland, MI.

The loss dropped the Panthers to 2-11 while the Tigers improved to 9-5.

A slow start and a cold shooting night cost the Panthers as they fell behind 53-15 at the break and shot 19 of 48 from the field overall. The second half was more balanced with Grace outscoring Purdue North Central 40-36, but the game was already decided by then.

PNC also struggled from beyond the arc and the free throw line finishing 1 of 7 and 12 of 19 respectively. The Panthers committed 21 turnovers to the Tigers' 12 and were outrebounded 33-29.

Grace was on fire throughout the game, finishing 33 of 56 (59%) from the floor, including 8 of 16 on three-pointers. A lapse at the free throw line appeared to be their only weakness as they connected on just 19 of 32 attempts.

The Panthers will have some time off during finals weak to regroup and will be back in action on Monday, Dec. 22 nd verses East-West University from Chicago. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. due to winter break.

The Purdue North Central basketball team dropped a difficult 74-70 decision to Marygrove College (MI) Friday evening in the first round of the Holland Sentinel Community Classic hosted by Hope College in Holland, MI.

The loss drops the Panthers to 2-10 overall while the Mustangs improved to 2-7.

The two teams were equally matched throughout the contest with neither team able to grab control. Marygrove led 32-30 at halftime but the outcome was in doubt until the final horn.

Overall, PNC connected on 26 of 65 field goals including 5 of 18 three-pointers and 13 of 19 free throws. Marygrove finished 26 of 56, 4 of 14 and 18 of 29 respectively. The Mustangs also won the rebound battle 41-34 but committed 23 turnovers compared to the Panthers' 20.

Freshman Shawn Martin led PNC with 19 points and 7 rebounds while senior Hugh Howard added 16 points. Freshmen Derek Harrell and Nick Sweet added 9 points and 11 rebounds respectively.

The Panthers play again tomorrow at 1 p.m. verses the loser of the Hope College/Grace Bible College game.

The Purdue North Central basketball team suffered a 103-55 setback verses DePauw University Wednesday evening in Greencastle, IN. The Panther fell to 2-9 overall while the Tigers improved to 5-3.

DePauw jumped out to a 16-2 lead and never trailed while taking a 52-21 lead at the break. The closest PNC came was when they went on a 7-0 run to make it 24-15 midway through the first half. However, DePauw responded by scoring the next 10 points and went on a 28-4 run to ice the game.

Senior Hugh Howard led the Panthers with 10 points as 11 different players managed to score. Freshmen Joe Stonebreaker and Derek Harrell added 8 points apiece while senior Ryan Chambers led PNC with 6 rebounds.

Thirteen different Tigers scored led by Mike Moore's 23 points in 21 minutes. Tom Callen added 16 followed by Drew Wills with a career-high 13. Callen and Moore each grabbed a team-high six rebounds as the Tigers held a 41-29 edge on the boards.

DePauw shot 54.4 percent from the floor including 63.6 percent in the first half and knocked down 12-of-24 three-pointers. The Panthers hit just 37.3 percent from the field including 3-of-15 from three-point territory.

The Panthers play again on Friday when they take on Marygrove College at 6 p.m. (e.t.) in the Hope College Tournament in Holland, MI.

The Purdue North Central basketball team was defeated 77-62 to the University of St. Francis Saturday night in Joliet. The Panthers are now 2-8 overall while the Fighting Saints improved to 6-5.

The young Panthers had a strong first half and trailed just 33-31 at the break. The game was close until St. Francis finally put the game away with about two minutes left in the contest.

PNC was 23 of 57 from the field, including 6 of 18 on three's and 10 of 18 from the line. St. Francis finished 31 of 54, 7 of 20 and 8 of 13 respectively.

The Panthers won the rebounding contest 33 to 31 and committed 14 turnovers compared to the Fighting Saint's 13.

Senior Avance Byrd led the Panthers with 13 points while freshman Shawn Martin added 10 points and 6 rebounds. Senior Hugh Howard added 9 points and 6 rebounds while freshman Nick Sweet contributed 9 points and 4 rebounds.

The Panthers play again on Wednesday when they take on DePauw University in Greencastle, IN at 7:30 p.m.

The Purdue North Central basketball (2-7) was outscored 14-7 in the final three minutes to fall 78-71 to Illinois Institute of Technology Thursday evening in Chicago.

The game was tied at 64 apiece before the Scarlet Hawks regrouped after a timeout and put away the young Panthers. IIT led 34-31 at the break and the game remained close throughout the entire contest.

PNC finished 27 of 54 from the floor including 8 of 16 from three-point territory. IIT was 30 of 58 overall and just 1 of 14 from beyond the arc. However, a big difference in the game came at the free throw line as IIT finished 17 of 32 compared to PNC's 9 of 12.

The Panthers were outrebounded 33-31 and committed 17 turnovers to just 11 for the Scarlet Hawks.

Freshman Nick Sweet led the Panthers with 18 points, including 5 of 7 on three-pointers and added 9 rebounds. Senior Hugh Howard finished with 17 points on 7 of 10 shooting while junior Ryan Chambers added 15 points.

Rob Knapczyk led IIT with 21 points while Kyle Corbin added 20 points.

PNC plays again this Saturday when they travel to Joliet, IL to take on the University of St. Francis at 7:30 p.m.

The Purdue North Central basketball team suffered a 79-51 defeat verses host IU-South Bend Tuesday evening. The Panthers fell to 2-6 overall while the Titans improved to 3-7.

It was a tale of two halves for the Panthers as they trailed 35-30 at the break but were outscored 44-21 in the second half. PNC went cold from the floor and fell behind 48-30 before scoring their first points.

PNC was 12 of 26 from the floor in the first half, including 3 of 9 from three-point land. But the second half saw PNC struggle to an 8 of 23 effort, including 0 of 7 from beyond the arc.

The Panthers were close in the rebounding battle, falling 38-35, but committed 24 turnovers.

PNC was led by freshman Nick Sweet with 9 points while freshman Joe Stonebreaker and junior college transfer Ryan Chambers added 9 points each. Ben Werner led IUSB with 14 points while Mark Comparato added 12 points.

The Panthers play again on Dec. 4 th at Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago at 7 p.m.

Senior Hugh Howard's three-point basket with two seconds left in the game gave the Purdue North Central basketball team a 60-57 victory over visiting Silver Lake College (WI) Saturday afternoon in Michigan City. The Panthers improved to 2-5 overall while the Lakers fell to 1-6.

PNC stormed out to an early lead, doubling up on Silver Lake 16-8. But the Lakers battled back and took a brief lead before the Panthers led at the break with a 30-26 edge.

The Lakers took control early in the second half and eventually led by 10 points with about 6:35 to go. Just when victory seemed to be in Silver Lake's grasp the Panthers made a final, stunning 14-2 run, including the final 11 points in the last 1:33 of the game.

Howard's shot came after PNC regained possession and executed a play to perfection coming out of a timeout. The ball was inbounded from the right wing near midcourt to freshman guard Derek Harrell. Harrell drove towards the hoop off a screen, drew two defenders and dished to a wide-open Howard on the left wing. Howard calmly knocked down the shot and PNC held on after desperation shot from Silver Lake clanked off the rim.

The Panthers were led by freshman Shawn Martin with 13 points while senior Avance Byrd added 12 points. Junior Ryan Chambers added two clutch baskets and logged important minutes off the bench to give PNC a spark during the stretch run.

A big difference in the game came at the free throw line as PNC connected on 16 of 19 attempts while the Lakers managed just 12 of 27. Martin finished 8 of 9 from the line, including two crucial ones on a Silver Lake technical foul that brought the Panthers within six with 5:53 to go.

Overall, PNC finished 20 of 49 from the floor and 4 of 16 from three-point land while Silver Lake was 22 of 45 and 1 of 3 respectively. The Panthers out-rebounded the Lakers 29-28 and committed 13 turnovers compared to Silver Lake's 13.

The Panthers play again on Tuesday when they visit IU-South Bend. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. eastern time.

The Purdue North Central basketball team fell to Marian College Wednesday night in Indianapolis by the score of 93-55. The Panthers are now 1-5 overall while the Knights improved to 2-1.

After PNC scored the first basket of the game Marian went on a 14-0 run to take control with just over 13 minutes left in the half. They expanded their lead to 50-22 at the break and never looked back.

Four Knights reached double figures while the Knights outscored the Panthers, 48-22, in the paint and 14-5 on the fast break.

Tyler Kleinschmidt led all scorers with 15 points while junior Heath Chamberlain added 14 points for Marian. Sophomore Anthony Furlin and junior J.R. Howell added 12 points with Furlin contributing a team-high five assists.

The only Panther to reach double figures was senior Hugh Howard with 13 points. Howard connected on 5 0f 6 field goals and added 5 rebounds. Sophomore Brandon Snell and freshman Joe Stonebraker added eight points apiece while junior Ronald Nanda led PNC with 6 rebounds.

Marian finished 35 of 72 from the field and 8 of 22 on three-point attempts while out-rebounding the Panthers 44-38. PNC made 20 of 53 attempts from the floor and 8 of 19 three-pointers. The biggest difference in the game came in turnover margin as the Panthers committed a whopping 35 turnovers to just 18 for the Knights.

The Panthers will play again on Saturday when they host Silver Lake College from Manitowoc, WI at 2 p.m. Prior to the game the Panthers will have an alumni game starting at 10 p.m. For more information please contact head coach Kris Schnatz at 219-785-5622.

The Purdue North Central basketball team dug themselves into an early hole that they could not escape on their way to a 118-62 home loss to St. Xavier University Saturday afternoon in Michigan City.

The visiting Cougars hit eight first-half three pointers and shot 81.8% as a team from the free throw line.

Panther Senior Avance Byrd (Tacoma, WA/Wilson/Green River CC) carried the team, scoring 16 points on 7-9 shooting from the floor. But his effort was overshadowed by St. Xavier's Amir Resic (Prijedor, Bosnia/East-West University), who had 26 points including 7 three-pointers.

The Panthers got 9 points and 4 rebounds from freshman Shawn Martin (White Pigeon, MI/Constantine), but were plagued by 28 team turnovers. St. Xavier shot an impressive 69.6% from beyond the arc for the game. PNC dropped to 1-4 on the season, as the Cougars improved to 3-2.

The Panthers look to recover from the loss at Marian College on Wednesday in Indianapolis, IN at 6 p.m. central time.

The Purdue North Central basketball team dropped their second game in the Bethel Classic by the score of 73-52 to Davenport University (MI) Saturday afternoon in Mishawaka, IN. The Panthers are now 1-3 overall while Davenport improved to 4-0.

The two halves were similar as PNC trailed 32-20 at the break before being outscored 41-32 in the second half.

Freshman Derek Harrell was the only Panther to reach double figures with 14 points. Junior Ryan Chambers added nine points while freshman Shawn Martin contributed eight points.

Davenport was led by Nathan Cox with 19 points and 11 rebounds while James Nelson added 16 points and Tyler Moreland chipped in 14 points.

PNC struggled from the field and connected on 32% of their shots while Davenport knocked down 49%. The Panthers were also outrebounded 43-25.

Purdue North Central will play again on Saturday when they host St. Xavier at 2 p.m.

The Purdue North Central basketball team dropped the opening game of the Bethel College Classic Friday night to the host Bethel College Pilots 121-54. The loss dropped the Panthers to 1-2 on the season while Bethel opened their season at 1-0.

Senior guard Hugh Howard ( Columbia City , IN /Columbia City H.S.) started the scoring for the Panthers with a field goal at 17:59. That would be the last Panther field goal for over six minutes, as the Pilots built up a 28 point lead with eleven minutes to go in the first half. A Bethel field goal by forward Wes Laidig ( Mishawaka , IN /Penn H.S.) with three minutes remaining extended the lead to forty-seven points, the largest margin in the first half.

The second half produced much of the same, as the Pilots built on their thirty-nine point half-time cushion. Bethel shot 67% from the field in the second half, including 42.9% from 3-point.

The Panthers were led by freshman guard Derek Harrel's (French Lick, IN/Springs Valley H.S.) 13 points and two assists. Harrel connected on three of six 3-pointers as well as a perfect 4-4 from the free-throw line. Howard contributed 11 points and a team-leading three rebounds off the bench.

A balanced scoring attack for the host Pilots featured six players in double digits, led by senior William Walker ( Michigan City , IN/Michigan City H.S.) who had 22 points and seven rebounds on the night

The Panthers will face Davenport University in the second game of the Bethel College Classic Saturday at 1:00 p.m.

The Purdue North Central basketball team defeated Indiana University Northwest 71-66 Tuesday night in Michigan City. The Panthers are now 1-1 overall while the Red Hawks fell to 0-2.

PNC stormed out to a 16-8 lead before IUN gradually chipped away to take their first lead of the game 28-27. The Red Hawks entered halftime with a 36-34 advantage.

IUN expanded their lead early in the second half to five points before PNC recovered to make it a back -and-forth game the rest of the way.

With just under one minute to go sophomore Brandon Snell hit a three-pointer from the left wing to give the Panthers a three point lead. After forcing an IUN turnover, Snell connected on a driving lay-up to increase the cushion to five points.

After struggling with free throws early in the game, PNC connected down the stretch to earn the victory.

Senior Avance Byrd led PNC with a career high 20 points while adding seven rebounds. Freshmen Derek Harrell and Shawn Martin each contributed 11 points with Harrell also grabbing seven rebounds. Sophomore Cameron Hudgins led PNC with eight rebounds and added seven points before fouling out.

IUN was led by Jesse Howell with 21 points and 12 rebounds while Joe Ramey added 19 points, including 17 in the first half.

The Panthers play again on Friday at 6 p.m. (e.t.) in the Bethel College Classic in Mishawaka against the host school, currently the #2 team in the nation. PNC completes the Tournament on Saturday at 1 p.m. (e.t.) verses Davenport University.

The Purdue North Central basketball team opened the 2008-2009 season with a 89-64 loss to Indiana University East in Richmond, IN. The Panthers were never able to recover from an early 19-1 deficit while falling to 0-1. The Red Wolves opened the season 1-0.

Freshman Shawn Martin (White Pigeon, MI/Constantine H.S.) was impressive in his first game as a Panther, scoring 11 points on 3-of-4 shooting and chipping in 5 rebounds.

The IU-East freshman duo of Nate Fraley (New Palestine , IN/New Palestine H.S.) and Will Madison (Fishers, IN/Fishers H.S.) was too much for the Panthers to handle inside, as they combined for 27 rebounds.

The Panthers were led in scoring by freshman Derek Harrel (French Lick, IN/Springs Valley H.S.), who scored 12 points including 5-of-8 free throws. Classmate Lloyd McBride (Fishers, IN/Hamilton Southeastern H.S.) contributed 8 points and 4 rebounds.

PNC will take on Indiana University Northwest in their home opener Tuesday at 7 p.m. The game will be played at the Scholl Center in Michigan City at Marquette High School.

Purdue University North Central's men's basketball program is ready to begin a new season. Second year head coach Kristofer Schnatz is ready to continue building the program led by four returners and a fresh group of recruits.

“We are going to be a young and inexperienced program on the court, but we have dedicated student-athletes who continue to work hard every day” said Coach Schnatz.

Schnatz has the task of guiding the Panthers towards the top of the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference after finishing 5-26 overall and 0-12 in conference play last season when they were a team in transition. He is confident with time and patience this team will be an entertaining and rewarding group to watch.

The Panthers have some building blocks in place led by seniors Trenton Byrd and Hugh Howard.

“They are very capable, versatile, and experienced guards who can make a difference in any game” said Coach Schnatz.

The Panthers have a slew of newcomers made up of transfers and freshmen alike and all have the ability to contribute.

“We are looking to establish ourselves as a program that does all of the little things right” said Coach Schnatz. “We struggled throughout the season last year because we were unable to finish games. If we dedicate ourselves to becoming fundamentally sound, I believe this group will open some eyes throughout conference” said Coach Schnatz.

Coach Schnatz will be joined on the sideline this year by second year assistant Tony Mytas and first year coach Jace Thompson.

The schedule is a mixed bag filled with new and old challenges alike. The team starts the season on the road playing IU-East in Richmond, IN on November 1st . Other key non-conference opponents include playing at the Hope Tournament and Bethel Classic and in-state opponents Depauw University and Marian College. CCAC play begins on January 7th verses Calumet College of St. Joseph.