Peregrine center Kevin Thomas (Highland) scored off an offensive rebound, was fouled and finished off the 3-point play nailing the free throw bringing his team to within one, 64-63, with 3:44 left to play. That was as close as the Peregrines would get in the closing minutes of the game.

The Trolls connected on their next five possessions, including a pair of 3-pointers, while the Peregrines could only muster one field goal during two-plus minutes of action. That stretched the one-point lead to 76-65 Troll advantage with 90 seconds left.

Peregrine guard Robert Williams (Gary West Side) nailed a 3-pointer just beyond the top of the key to finish the scoring with 33 seconds left on the clock.

Antonio Hurt (Michigan City) led the Peregrines with 14 points, including two from the 3-point stripe. The sophomore hit 54 percent from the field and 66 percent from 3-point line.

Michael Patton (Gary West Side) hit 60 percent of his shots scoring 13 points. He led the team with a pair of shot blocks, had four assists and two steals in the loss.

Two seniors, Thomas and Vince Johnson (Bishop Noll) closed out their collegiate careers scoring 10 points each. Thomas was 4-of-8 from the field and grabbed seven rebounds, while Johnson grabbed five rebounds and had one shot block and one steal.

A third senior, Kris Krstevski (Lake Central) hit three 3-pointers for nine points and had four assists and three rebounds. Williams finished with eight points, five rebounds and four assists.

The Peregrines led at the intermission, 36-35, hitting 50 percent from the 3-point arc and 44 percent from the field overall. The two teams exchanged the lead 14 times and were tied six times during the tournament opener.

CCAC Player-of-the-Year Kurt Gruppen led all scorers with 24 points, including three from the 3-point line and two in the final three minutes of the game. Gruppen led the conference averaging 21.4 points per game, and hit 51 percent of his 3-point attempts.  

PUC had a six-point, 36-30, lead at the half, but PNC amped up its offense scoring 43 in the second 20 minutes of action. The Peregrines (3-25 overall, 3-9 CCAC) couldn’t get their offense rolling for most of the second half, including a 2-of-10 success rate from the 3-point stripe.

Sophomore Robert Williams (Gary West Side) led the Peregrines in scoring for the third time this season. Williams was 5-of-7 (71 percent) from the field, including a 3-pointer, and was perfect at the charity stripe 6-of-6 for 17 points in the contest, more than doubling his season average of 8.4 per game.

Antonio McNeal (Hammond Gavit) scored double figures for the tenth time in 15 games. The junior, who leads the Peregrines with a 13.1 per game average, scored 15 and added six rebounds.

Two seniors, Kevin Thomas (Highland) and Kris Krstevski (Lake Central), each scored eight points. Thomas grabbed six rebounds in the loss, while Krstevski had three of the team’s six steals.

The Peregrines opened the game on a 6-0 run and built the lead to eight, 26-18, when senior Kris Krstevski hit his first 3-pointer of the night. But the Wolves closed the half with a 19-9 run of their own taking a 37-35 lead into the locker room.

Four-and-a-half minutes into the second half, the Wolves (20-7 overall, 10-2 CCAC) pushed the lead to double digits hitting four of their first five shots. The Peregrines’ offense struggled out of the intermission connecting on 2-of-9 (22 percent) through the first seven minutes and never got hot enough to match the Wolves.

Sophomore Michael Patton (Gary West Side) nabbed his first double double of the season grabbing a game-high 14 rebounds, while scoring a dozen points. Patton leads the CCAC averaging 8.4 rebounds per game and leads the Peregrines with a 7.7 rpg average.

Junior Antonio McNeal (Hammond Gavit) led the Peregrines in scoring with 18 hitting 66 percent from the field. McNeal leads the Peregrines averaging 12.9 points per game and ranks eighth in the CCAC with a 14 point average. 

Off the bench, sophomore Antonio Hurt (Michigan City) scored 14 hitting 60 percent from the field, grabbed four rebounds, had three swipes and a pair of shot blocks. Hurt is the team’s second leading scorer averaging 11.5 per game.

Krstevski (Lake Central) finished with 10 points, including a pair of 3-pointers. Krstevski, Kevin Thomas (Highland) and Vince Johnson (Bishop Noll) were all honored in pre-game ceremonies on Senior Day. Thomas added six points and six rebounds and Johnson scored nine points and had five rebounds before fouling out of the contest.

PUC heads to Michigan City this Saturday at 2 p.m. to battle sister school Purdue North Central (2-26, 0-11) for the final regular season game for both teams. The Peregrines (3-24, 3-8) beat the Panthers, 67-64, in their first conference meeting last month.  

Through the first 13 minutes of the second half, the Peregrines only scored a dozen points, but were still within five points of the Bees. And when guard Robert Williams (Gary West Side) nailed his second 3-pointer of the game, the Peregrines trailed 58-56 with six-plus minutes to play.

But in the final six minutes the Peregrines could only connect on two more shots, while the Bees hit four-of-seven (57 percent) including a 3-pointer to seal the win. The Peregrines (3-23) led 41-33 at the half, but the sluggish offense only registered 21 second-half points in the loss.

Williams scored a season-high 19 points, hitting 61 percent from the field, including three 3-pointers, to lead the Peregrines. The sophomore also had five rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Senior Kevin Thomas (Highland) and sophomore Michael Patton (Gary West Side) each scored a dozen points. Thomas, who shot 83 percent from the field, also had four rebounds, while Patton nailed three 3-pointers for a 50 percent success rate from the arc.

Antonio Hurt (Michigan City) tied for game-high honors grabbing 12 rebounds and scored nine. Vince Johnson (Bishop Noll) scored seven, had four rebounds and a pair of blocked shots.

The Peregrines host the Cardinal Stritch University Wolves in a basketball doubleheader on Wednesday beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the final regular season home game.

And 10 seconds later when freshman Jarrid Bradley grabbed the rebound after a missed 3-point attempt with 3.2 ticks left, the Peregrines had one more chance to knot the game. But a turnover on the in-bounds pass swiped by Robinson sealed the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference win for the Eagles.

PUC (3-22 overall, 3-7 CCAC) trailed by as much as a dozen points throughout the second half, but never quit on both ends of the floor. The Peregrines cut the Eagle lead to three points four times during the half, but never grabbed the lead in the loss.

Junior Antonio McNeal (Hammond Gavit) led the Peregrines with 25 points, including six made in the final four minutes before fouling out of the contest. McNeal has led the team in scoring in the last five of eight games and leads the team scoring 12.4 per game.

Johnson (Bishop Noll) hit 54 percent of his shots for 19 points and collected three rebounds. The senior forward is averaging 9.2 points and 6.5 rebounds overall and 11.7 points and 7.9 rebounds in the CCAC.

Sophomore guard Robert Williams (Gary West Side) scored a dozen and grabbed six rebounds. He’s averaging 7.3 points and 2.7 rebounds per game this season.

Antonio Hurt (Michigan City) scored 11 points off the bench. The sophomore is the team’s second leading scorer averaging 11.6 per game.

The Peregrines host the St. Ambrose University Fighting Bees (10-16) on Saturday at 3 p.m. in the second game of homecoming.

The Crimson Wave drilled eight 3-pointers in the opening half challenging the Peregrines defense. But the Peregrines had one of their best shooting performances of the conference season connecting on 17-of-32 (53 percent) from the floor and held a slim, 39-38, lead to end the half.

In the second half, the Peregrines tightened the screws on defense, especially from the 3-point stripe, limiting the Crimson Wave to only one 3-pointer. The Peregrines offense dipped in the second half hitting 44 percent of their shots, but they took a scoring advantage at the charity stripe knocking down 11-of-13 (85 percent) grabbing the conference win.

Junior Antonio McNeal (Hammond Gavit) led all scorers with 21 points hitting 53 percent of his shots, and he grabbed five rebounds, dished out five assists and had five swipes in the win. McNeal is averaging 15.2 points in his last seven games and leads the team with a 12.4 average.

Senior Vince Johnson (Bishop Noll) bagged his third double-double of the season, a back-to-back effort this week, scoring 13 and snatching 13 rebounds. Johnson ranks third in the CCAC averaging 7.9 rebounds per game and has the third best scoring average on the team with 9.2 per game.

Sophomore guard Robert Williams (Gary West Side) led the team with 10 points at the half and finished with 13 points, including two 3-pointers. Williams hit 83 percent of his shots in the win and is averaging 7.3 points per game for the Peregrines.

Antonio Hurt (Michigan City) scored 10 points off the bench and grabbed four rebounds. The sophomore is the Peregrines’ second leading scorer averaging 11.6 per game.

The Peregrines (3-21 overall, 3-6 CCAC) held the edge in three statistical catergories over the Crimson Wave. They forced 14 turnovers, had eight steals and had 38 rebounds compared to Calumet College’s 36 boards.

Senior Kris Krstevski (Lake Central) drilled a 3-pointer to tie the game at 59-59 with less than two minutes to play. But PUC was shut out for the remainder of the game.

Senior Vince Johnson (Bishop Noll) notched his second double-double of the season finishing with 15 points shooting 63 percent from the field, and he grabbed a dozen rebounds and had three blocked shots. Johnson is averaging nine points and 6.3 rebounds overall and 11.5 points and 7.3 rebounds in CCAC games.

Junior Antonio McNeal (Hammond Gavit) tied for game-high scoring honors finishing with 15 points, while dishing out six assists, grabbing four rebounds and collecting three steals in the loss. McNeal has scored double figures in his last five games averaging 15.8 points and 11.3 in conference action.

Krstevski nailed four 3-pointers and finished with 13 points and collected eight rebounds. The guard is averaging nine points per game overall and 9.4 in CCAC contests.

Sophomore Antonio Hurt (Michigan City) came off the bench and scored eight points. Hurt continues to lead the Peregrines averaging 11.8 points per game overall and 10.4 in conference games.

The Peregrines (2-21 overall, 2-6 CCAC) head to the Hammond Civic Center this Saturday to face Calumet College (6-19, 3-4) at 3 p.m. in the second game of a doubleheader with the women’s squad. The Crimson Wave beat the Peregrines 67-61 in their first meeting of the season last month.

Purdue University Calumet went to the locker room at the half trailing by only six points, 41-35. Through the first 11-plus minutes, the Peregrines kept within striking distance down only 65-57 after the game’s leading scorer, Kevin Thomas (Highland), scored a basket at the 8:45 mark.

But when the Trolls’ leading scorer, Jonathan Huizinga, drilled a 3-pointer seconds later, TCC grabbed the double-digit lead and continued to stretch it to the end of the game.

Thomas scored a season-high 21 to lead the Peregrines, and he just missed his first double-double of the year finishing with nine rebounds, including seven on the offensive glass. The senior hit 72 percent from the field in the loss.

Antonio McNeal (Hammond Gavit), who has scored double figures in his last four games, scored 13 points, including 7-of-8 from the charity stripe, and led the team with four assists. McNeal is averaging 16 points in his last four games, and overall is the team’s second-leading scorer with 11 per game.

Senior Kris Krstevski finished with 11 points, three above his per game average, and sophomore Michael Patton led all rebounders grabbing 13, while dishing out three assists and swatting two shot attempts away. Patton leads the Peregrines averaging 7.6 rebounds per game and ranks second in the CCAC with 8.6 per game.

PUC heads to Deerfield, Ill., for a pair of games against Trinity International University with a 7:30 p.m. tip Wednesday. The women start at 5:30 p.m.

The home crowd was tense in the final seconds as Panther D.J. Green (Simeon, Chicago) split a pair of free throws with 20 seconds left pulling his team to within four. Seconds later, Peregrine guard Robert Williams (Gary West Side) was fouled and calmly nailed both attempts and pushed the lead to 67-61.

With 10 seconds left, Panther Marcus Isaac (Indianapolis Lawrence North) drilled a 3-pointer finishing the scoring for the game. Isaac tried to repeat his success from the 3-point stripe with three seconds to play, but missed as time expired.

Junior Antonio McNeal (Hammond Gavit) led the Peregrines in scoring and has tied, or has been the leading scorer in the last three games. McNeal shot 72 percent from the field for 21 points, and he grabbed four rebounds and had a pair of assists. McNeal is averaging 17 points in his last three games.

Antonio Hurt (Michigan City), the team’s leading scorer averaging 11.9 per game, scored 16 on 8-of-14 (57 percent) from the floor, while grabbing five rebounds, collecting a pair of steals and had one blocked shot.  

Senior Vince Johnson (Bishop Noll) led the Peregrines with eight rebounds and added a dozen points in the victory. Johnson is averaging 8.8 points and six rebounds this season.

Williams finished with nine points and Thomas added seven points and five rebounds.

The Peregrines (2-19 overall, 2-4 CCAC) host Trinity Christian College (15-6, 5-1) Saturday at 3 p.m. in the second game of a doubleheader with the women’s squad.

The Peregrines missed their first eight shots in the second half allowing the Wolves to take the lead that they never gave up. Sophomore Robert Williams (Gary West Side) hit the first Peregrine bucket at the 15:20 mark, but the offense dried up for the next six minutes until junior Antonio McNeal (Hammond Gavit) hit a jumper with under 10 minutes to play and put PUC’s deficit at 15 points.

McNeal led the Peregrines with 17 points hitting 58 percent from the floor, and he grabbed three rebounds. McNeal is averaging nine points and 2.7 rebounds per game in the six he has played this season.

Williams, who had three rebounds and a pair of assists, led among the starters finishing with 10 points. He is averaging 7.4 points and 3.3 assists per game.

Senior Vince Johnson (Bishop Noll) and sophomore Antonio Hurt (Michigan City) each scored nine points, and Johnson grabbed six rebounds, while Hurt collected three. Michael Patton (Gary West Side), who continues to lead the Peregrines averaging 7.7 rebounds per game, led all rebounders with eight.

The Peregrines’ offensive struggled the entire second half hitting 9-of-31 (29 percent), while the Wolves’ (14-5 overall, 6-0 CCAC) offensive went in the opposite direction connecting on 20-of-33 (60 percent), including 5-of-10 from the 3-point stripe.

PUC hosts sister school Purdue North Central this Wednesday with a 7:30 p.m. start. The game will air live on WJOB 1230-AM with former PUC sports information director Brian Jennings as the lead play-by-play and current students Katie Craig and Joe Wielosinski as color commentators.