FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Chicago St. fell to Purdue Fort Wayne 90-77 on Tuesday night at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. CSU was led by their bench, which contributed 36 points in the loss.
The game commenced with Chicago State's
Braelon Bush scoring a layup to open the scoring at the 19:36 mark. Purdue Fort Wayne's Darius Duffy responded with a fastbreak dunk, setting the tone for a back-and-forth first half. Chicago State's
Daniel Zatsepin's layup at 7:10 put his team ahead by five, but Purdue Fort Wayne's Mikale Stevenson kept the pressure with key baskets, including a three-pointer at 1:39. The half concluded dramatically with
Doyel Cockrill III's three-pointer tying the game at 35, only for Stevenson to clinch the lead for Purdue Fort Wayne with a jumper at the buzzer, ending the first half 37-35 in the home team's favor.
The second half saw Purdue Fort Wayne extend their lead with strong shooting and defensive plays. Mikale Stevenson was pivotal, scoring consistently and contributing several assists, including a layup at 4:37 that made it 76-64. Corey Hadnot II added a fast-break dunk at 4:21, pushing the lead further. Chicago State's
Malek Robinson and
Doyel Cockrill III tried to counter with key baskets, but the home team's efficient offense and timely steals, particularly by Darius Duffy, maintained their advantage. Purdue Fort Wayne finished the half ahead, securing a 90-77 victory.
Chicago State opened the first half with aggressive defense, highlighted by
Marcus Tankersley's early steal which led to a quick layup by
Braelon Bush. The team efficiently converted turnovers into points, with
Daniel Zatsepin scoring on a fast break to take a 12–10 lead. CSU maintained momentum with Lionel Larvadain's three-pointer, extending the lead to 15–10 midway through the half.
As the half progressed, CSU's lead was challenged, but a timely three-pointer by
CJ Ray and a fast-break layup by Zatsepin helped keep the visitors ahead.
Doyel Cockrill III contributed with a pair of free throws and a late three-pointer to tie the game at 35–35. However, Purdue Fort Wayne edged ahead with a last-second jumper, closing the half with a narrow 37–35 advantage.
The second half began with a critical exchange as CSU's
Marcus Tankersley quickly narrowed Purdue Fort Wayne's lead to one point with a jumper at 19:24. However, Purdue Fort Wayne responded with a series of scoring plays, including layups by Corey Hadnot II and Mikale Stevenson, extending their advantage. Despite a strong effort by
Dailliss Cox and
Doyel Cockrill III, who contributed key points, CSU struggled to regain momentum.
As the half progressed, Purdue Fort Wayne capitalized on turnovers and fast breaks, maintaining their lead.
Malek Robinson contributed significantly with a layup and successful free throws, but the home team continued to find success beyond the arc, exemplified by Maximus Nelson's three-pointer. CSU's offensive efforts were highlighted by Cockrill III's three-pointers, but defensive stops were not enough to close the gap.
In the closing minutes, CSU's Lionel Larvadain added points with a fastbreak layup, yet Purdue Fort Wayne continued to build their lead, ultimately closing the half ahead, 90-77. Despite CSU's efforts, the home team finished the half with a 53-42 run, maintaining a solid lead.
Doyel Cockrill III scored 17 points, converting five three-point shots.
Marcus Tankersley finished with 18 points, making eight field goals.
Malek Robinson contributed with seven points and three steals.
CJ Ray added nine points and two steals.
The next challenge for CSU is a road game against Youngstown State University. The matchup is set for Friday, Nov. 28 at 3 p.m. CT at Beeghly Physical Education Center in Youngstown, Ohio.
