HAMMOND, Ind. –

Purdue Calumet raced out to an early 14-2 advantage, as Jennifer Britton and Tierra Turner combined to score the Black and Gold’s first 14 points. However, the Wolves were able to slowly work their way back into the game over remainder of the half, as the Peregrines lead was trimmed to five, 35-30, heading into the break.

Michigan Dearborn pulled within two, 39-37, in the opening three minutes of the final stanza, but Britton’s back-to-back trifectas would ignite a 19-2 spurt over the next five minutes to help the Peregrines erase any doubts of a comeback. Alex Starr closed out the run with a breakaway layup, giving Purdue Calumet its largest lead of the game, 58-39.

Despite an impressive offensive showing, the key to the Peregrines’ success came on defense, as they scored a whopping 20 points off Michigan Dearborn turnovers. The Black and Gold’s fast-paced attack and pressure defense forced 28 mishaps by the Wolves, a 17-turnover difference between the two teams.

Five players reached double-figures for Purdue Calumet, who reached the 70-point plateau for the 20th time in their last 21 contests. Britton got all of her team-high 15 points from beyond the arc, as the junior guard knocked down five treys in the game. Turner recorded a double-double in her first collegiate game, scoring 14 points and pulling down 12 rebounds.

MeMe Harris scored 11 of her 14 points in the second half to go along with her game-high six assists, while Stephaine Beck added 12 points and three steals. Starr rounded out the Peregrines in double-digits, finishing with 11 points off the bench.

Purdue Calumet will be back in action on Saturday, Nov. 7, when it takes on Spring Arbor during Homecoming festivities. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. with the Peregrines’ men’s team set to take on Indiana Northwest immediately after the conclusion of the women’s contest.

HAMMOND, Ind. –

The Peregrines are coming off last season’s five-game turnaround and with three of the top four scorers returning from an offense that topped the CCAC with 75.2 points per game there is good reason to be excited about the direction that the program is heading.

Head coach Tom Megyesi‘s team will aim to capitalize on the returning talent and climb the ranks of the CCAC this season, after finishing fourth in the conference a year ago with a 5-5 mark.

The strength of the team will lie in its guard play, as Purdue Calumet returns its entire backcourt from last season. All-conference performers Jennifer Britton and MeMe Harris headline PUC’s talented group of guards, which also includes standouts Stephaine Beck and Nicci Desimone.

In Britton, Purdue Calumet has one of the CCAC’s top three-point threats, as the junior led the conference with 87 trifectas on the season while knocking down an impressive 42.2 percent of her long-range attempts. She will be given plenty of opportunities from the dynamic Harris, arguably the conference’s top point guard. The 5-foot-5 junior ranked second in the conference in assists in 2008-09, while leading the team in that category 21 times and eclipsing the 10-assist plateau in three contests.

Beck is back for her second campaign with the Peregrines, after proving herself as one of the top scoring threats in the CCAC. The Mishawaka, Ind. native led all conference freshmen in scoring with 12.6 points per game and ranked third among all CCAC athletes with 58 three-point field goals. She is joined by fellow sophomore Nicci Desimone, who averaged 6.7 points per game while finishing sixth in the conference with 45 trifectas. Desimone also gives PUC a capable passer, as she finished second on the team and third among CCAC freshmen with 55 assists last season.

Megyesi also returns experienced center Sara Keilman, as the 6-foot senior gives the team good size and scoring ability in the post. Keilman averaged 6.2 points and 6.0 rebounds per game last season, while shooting 48.7 percent from the field. Back-up point guard Krystal Coleman comes back for sophomore season, after dishing out 25 assists in her first year at Purdue Calumet.

The Peregrines will also be helped by a talented incoming class, headlined by Tierra Turner. The 5-foot-8 guard will be slotted as a probable starter, as her rebounding and scoring abilities will prove to be invaluable for PUC.

Fellow frosh Amanda Gaskin and Alex Starr will also see plenty of playing time this season. Gaskin adds depth in the post, where her energy and speed will make an immediate impact. Starr, coming from a very successful Plymouth High School program, gives Purdue Calumet yet another outside threat while providing the ability to play a number of positions. Newcomers Samekia Coaxum, Savannah Hauter, Natalie Sovich and Alyssa Trinidad add impressive depth to an already potent Peregrines’ roster.

Purdue Calumet opens the season at the Fitness and Recreation Center, when it faces Michigan Dearborn on Thursday, Nov. 5. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. CST.

Seated (L to R): Ryan, Brooklyn and Tracy Short. Standing (L to R): Steve Burkhart, Scott Bumgardner and Randy Hosier.

WABASH, Ind. – Purdue University Calumet head coach Tom Megyesi officially inked the first recruit of his 2010 recruiting class last weekend, as Brooklyn Short signed a national letter of intent to continue her basketball career with the Peregrines.

Short, a 5-foot-5 point guard, averaged 19.7 points and 2.5 assists with 70 three-point field goals last season, and will come into her senior season ranked second on the school’s all-time scoring list with 1,128 career points. She led her team to a school-record 20 wins a year ago, while helping Wabash secure its second sectional championship in school history. The Wabash Plain Dealer Player of the Year received first team all-county and all-conference honors, while also earning IBCA Underclass All-State Honorable Mention recognition and an invitation to the 2009 IBCA/IHSAA Girls Top 100 Underclass Showcase.

Short is a recipient of Purdue Calumet’s prestigious Chancellor’s Scholar award, compiling a 3.9 grade-point average while ranking second in her high school class.

The Peregrines are set to kick-off the 2009-10 campaign on Nov. 5 against Michigan Dearborn at the Fitness and Recreation Center, where they went 9-7 a year ago. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. CST.

HAMMOND, Ind. – Purdue University Calumet head coach Tom Megyesi got an early start to his 2010 recruiting class, as Wabash High School star Brooklyn Short gave a verbal commitment to continue to her education and play basketball at PUC. Short is the first athlete to commit to the Peregrines for the 2010 class.

 
Short’s commitment not only addresses an area of need for PUC, but also marks one of the biggest commitments during Megyesi’s tenure at Purdue Calumet. “Brooklyn is an outstanding student-athlete, whose basketball accolades speak for themselves,” said Megyesi. “Her basketball savvy along with her personality will be a perfect fit in our program.”

The 5-foot-5 point guard averaged 19.7 points and 2.5 assists with 70 three-point field goals as a junior, leading her team to a school-record 20 wins and Wabash’s second sectional championship in school history. The Wabash Plain Dealer County Player of the Year received first team all-county and all-conference honors, while also earning IBCA Underclass All-State Honorable Mention recognition and an invitation to the 2009 IBCA/IHSAA Girls Top 100 Underclass Showcase.

Short has rewritten the record books in her three years at Wabash, owning a trio of school marks while looking to close in on a number of other records this season. She currently holds the top honors for points in a season as well as career and season marks for three-point field goals. Short ranks second on the school’s all-time scoring list with 1,128 points, after becoming just the fourth girl in school history to reach the 1,000-point plateau.

The academic all-conference selection has not only experienced success on the court, but has also excelled in the classroom. She currently ranks second in her high school class, an honor that along with a 3.9 grade-point average has helped her secure Purdue Calumet’s prestigious Chancellor’s Scholar award.

The Peregrines return four starters from a year ago and with added help from a talented group of freshmen will look to improve upon last season’s five-game turnaround. PUC will kick-off its 2009-10 campaign on Nov. 5, when they host UM Dearborn at the Fitness & Recreation Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. CST.

HAMMOND, Ind. – The Purdue Calumet women’s basketball team recently took their conditioning workout off-campus, traveling to Mount Baldy in the Indiana Sand Dunes State Park.

Head coach Tom Megyesi fostered the idea earlier this summer in hopes to get the team away from the hustle and bustle of campus and allow his players to enjoy some of the best scenery in northwest Indiana.

Turner was named as her team’s most valuable player in her final high school season. She was an Indiana All-State Honorable Mention, a First Team All-Area player and was rated as a Top 60 Senior by the Hoosier Basketball Magazine.

Turner is the fourth recruit signed by Head Coach Tom Megyesi who previously inked 5-9 guard Alex Starr (Plymouth), Amanda Gaskin, 5-11 forward from Pendleton Heights and 5-9 guard Natalie Sovich (Hobart). Turner gives Megyesi 13 players to begin the 2009-10 season and a player who will provide offensive punch.

“I anticipate Tierra to have an immediate positive impact to our team,” Megyesi said. “She is an outstanding athlete, and we are fortunate to have her join our team.”

Samekia Coaxum, a 6-0 forward from North DeSoto High School, Stonewall, La., finished her senior year averaging 10.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists for the Griffins.

Also joining the team is guard Alyssa Trinidad of Hobart. Both players are expected to be backups, according to Megyesi.

“They give us bench strength at both the post and guard positions,” he said. “We’re lucky to have them.”

PLYMOUTH, Ind. — Plymouth guard Alex Starr officially signed Monday to play for the Peregrines for the coming 2009-10 season. Starr played for the 3A high school state basketball champs last season.

Starr, seated in the center with her parents on either side, was also accompanied by her former high school coaches, back left, and her college coach, Tom Megyesi, back right.  

In the post-season tournament, Gaskin averaged 10.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. As a senior she averaged 8.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game for the 21-3 Arabians. Gaskin also led her team in rebounding, and hit 50 percent of her shots from the field in her final high school season.

Gaskin earned all conference honors in the Hoosier Heritage conference last season and was voted the team’s defensive player of the year in her junior and senior seasons. She helped the Arabians to back-to-back Hoosier Heritage Conference championships, and she was named a two-time all area player by the Herald Bulletin.

Peregrine coach Tom Megyesi said adding Gaskin will help in the low post and benefit the team in the rebounding department.

“At 5-11, Amanda will be providing an inside presence that we are in need of for next season,” Megyesi said. “Amanda is very strong and athletic, and she has excellent shooting technique and speed. I look forward to coaching Amanda the next four years.”

Gaskin is the third recruit Megyesi has signed for Purdue University Calumet. The two other recruits are Plymouth’s Alex Starr, a 5-9 guard, who averaged 10.3 points and 2.3 rebounds for the Pilgrims, and River Forest’s Natalie Sovich, who averaged 14.6 points and 12.4 rebounds per game in her senior season.

Photo caption: Left to right in the back row are Pendleton Heights assistant coach Ed Clark, head coach Shari Doud and Peregrine coach Megyesi. In the front are parents Ernie and Darla Gaskin on the left and right with Amanda Gaskin in the middle.