The PUC women's basketball team continued their winning streak Thursday night with a narrow victory over Division I number 22 Robert Morris University.
PUC was able to maintain a convincing lead for the majority of the game. The women were ahead by 15 points with 13:33 left to play, however this is where RMU made its move.
The back and forth struggle began when Robert Morris went on an 18-1 run to tie the score at 49 with only 8:30 left in the game.
"The scoring droughts happen in exciting games like that," said senior Stephanie Beck. "There was a lot of adrenaline flowing because of their run so we got a little ahead of ourselves."
But PUC was able to bounce back, going on a 10-0 run of their own and taking the lead 61-51. With only two minutes left on the clock, it looked as if PUC had the win within reach. However, RMU proved yet again why they are ranked 22.
The Eagles scored seven points to come within three with only 15 seconds left to play. They sunk one last shot before the buzzer, but it was not enough and PUC held on to win 61-60.
"I was so excited after the win we worked so hard and to win against a team that was highly ranked it was a great feeling," said junior Alex Star. Starr led the team with 14 points against the Eagles.
PUC was also helped by freshman Kami Graber and sophomore Brooklyn Short, who each scored 11 points, along with Beck's 10 points.
"The feeling to beat a high ranked team is one of the best feelings," said Beck. "It proves that we can play with teams in the top 25. It gives us a lot of confidence going into the next games and as the conference tournament comes up."
The team then looked to extend their four-game winning streak when they met up with number 11 St. Xavier University on Saturday.
"We're not backing down," said Beck. "We're going and playing to win, no fear."
But the Cougars came out strong and did not let up as they went into halftime leading 48-29. They continued to dominate offensively in the second half with little response from the PUC offense. St. Xavier eventually won 80-59.
Purdue Calumet's offense struggled against the Cougars more than it had all year with only a 25 percent shooting effort in the first half. The loss puts PUC at 16-8 overall.
The women's team compete again on Jan. 25 against Judson University.
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