REC CENTER — Two schools that share the same university name acted like mortal enemies in Wednesday’s Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Division II game in Hammond. The Peregrines clawed and the Panthers snarled for 40 minutes before the home team claimed a 66-53 victory.

PUC earned its first consecutive wins of the season behind the game’s leading scorer Kevin Thomas (Highland). The junior 6-8 center shot 50 percent from the field scoring 18 points, while grabbing five rebounds and collecting two steals in the win.

The Peregrines trailed by a duce at the half, 36-34, but tightened the defensive screws in the second half holding the Panthers to 17 points in the final 20 minutes of action. Both teams played a hard-nosed physical brand of basketball throughout the game delivering blows that drew blood and severe bruising on both sides of the benches.

Three other Peregrines scored in double-digits for the victory. Starter Antonio Hurt (Michigan City) tied for game-high honors with eight rebounds, while scoring a dozen points hitting 66 percent from the field. Hurt was also a defensive star blocking a season-high five shots.

Junior Charles Cruz (Gavit) hit 50 percent of his shots scoring 10 points, and freshman guard Josh Collins (MacArthur, San Antonio, Texas) also scored 10 and dished out a season-high six assists. Off the bench, junior guard Kris Krstevski (Lake Central) buried three 3-pointers for nine points, while grabbing four rebounds and swiping the ball twice.

PUC hit 54 percent from the field, including a 66 percent rate from the 3-point stripe in the second half. Also on offense, the Peregrines scored 40 points in the paint to 26 for the Panthers. On defense the Peregrines forced the Panthers into a 5-for-24 shooting performance in the second half, a 20 percent success rate.

The Peregrines (4-16, 2-2 CCAC) host Trinity International (4-16, 0-3) Saturday at 3 p.m. in the second game of a PUC doubleheader with the women who tip at 1 p.m. Two lucky fans will win a package deal that includes dinner, a movie and an overnight stay at a hotel. Tickets are $5 for adults, $3 for ages 12-18, and free to ages under 12 and PUC students with a current school photo ID.