Elgin, Ill.- Alicia Rovertoni’s (Columbia, Ill.) fourth double-double of the season helped to lead Judson University (6-11/1-1) to an 81-61 win over Purdue University-Calumet (3-17/0-2). A 22-5 run in the second half secured the Eagles victory as they went up by 24-points after PUC had come within seven. Judson has now won three of their last five games.
Rovertoni collected her fourth double-double of the year while also leading Judson in scoring with 19 points. Her 11 rebounds added to her CCAC leading 7.5 rebounds per game. Devonaye Henderson (Ellenwood, Ga.) also recorded her second double-double of the season with 12 points and tied her career-high of 12 rebounds. Two more players were in double figures as Kirstin Johns (Belvidere, Ill.) had 14 and Heidi Rosenbaum (Dakota Dunes, S.D.) added 13. PUC’s Shannon Dugan had 16 points.
Only up by seven heading into the second half, 37-30, JU went on an 18-6 run over six minutes to take a commanding 19-point lead, 55-36. Rovertoni had six of the 18 points in the run. PUC never did recover.
Judson took their largest lead of 24, 63-39, on a Crystal Goodall (Atlanta, Ga.) lay up with 12:02 left in the game. PUC did bring the lead back down to 16, 71-55, but could not overcome JU’s smothering defense.
Starting the game off with two free throws, PUC had a 2-0 lead only to see JU tie the game at two on a Kelly Friestad (Newark, Ill.) layup. PUC retook the lead, 4-2, but Rosenbaum’s first three-pointer of the game gave JU a 5-4 lead. That three-pointer sparked a 13-2 run for Judson to put the Eagles in front, by nine, 15-6.
PUC fought back with a run of their own, 10-2, in the next four minutes to come within one, 17-16. JU scored the next five points for a six-point lead, 22-16. Again, PUC fired back at the Eagles. In just three minutes, PUC outscored JU, 9-0, for a three-point lead, 25-22, with 5:56 left in the half. With the momentum heading in PUC’s favor, JU called a timeout.
The Eagles countered PUC’s 9-0 run with an 8-0 run in two minutes for a five-point lead, 30-25. That is all JU needed. PUC did come within one, 30-29, with 3:34 remaining in the half, but JU finished the half on a 7-1 run and a seven-point advantage at the half, 37-30.
Judson scored 54 of their 81 points in the paint while shooting 45% from the floor. They made only 28% from beyond the arc and shot 73% from the foul line. JU then held PUC to just 37% from the floor, 20% from 3-point range and 69% from the stripe.
Defensively, JU forced 18 PUC turnovers and had 15 steals. JU also out rebounded PUC, 50-31, while recording five blocks.
Judson will travel to Deerfield, Ill., on Saturday, January 19th, to face Trinity International University in another CCAC game at 5:30 p.m.
